


UnNamed

by DuskNightmare0



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Bonding, Brotherly Love, Crushes, F/M, Fake Amnesia, Fluff, Girl lost in Thedas, Heartbreak, M/M, Minor Character Death, Modern Girl in Thedas, Multi, Original Character(s), Romance, Sister figures, Struggling to find her place, faking amnesia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-12
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-03 18:27:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 46,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10254452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DuskNightmare0/pseuds/DuskNightmare0
Summary: It wasn't like she'd expected this- I mean who dies and goes to some mythical place from their video games? Okay, so faking amnesia might not have been smart, but she needs to be careful, she needs to think this through, and keep her identity a secret, as well as where she comes from. Also, Solas seems as wary of her, not that she blames him, she's given him nothing but disrespect, but he broke her Lavellan's heart, he deserves it. But, it's almost like Solas knows something. Well, this should be good.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is in first person POV- It's also on my Deviantart and Fanfiction account, Deviantart is the same name, Fanfiction pen name is different.

I apologize in advance for some of the tenses in this, they may shift back and forth- I'm having some troubles writing tenses in the past. Please forgive me.

~Prologue~

_ ‘This is impossible!’ I think as I beat feet along the routed path, my ribs burn, the side of my head aching, with a warm fluid dribbling a path down from the cut along my left eye, and my bare feet burn from the cold. ‘Impossible! Impossible!’ I continue to think, looking before me to find a group of giant ass spiders following, causing me to push further forward, faster than I have ever ran before, up the hill before me, and just as I get up there, a giant green tear appears. Glancing before the closely impending, man-eating spiders, I take the a chance, racing forwards towards the tear, and throw myself, head first, through it in an attempt to escape. Before I can register anything, I am falling, falling, further and further, faster and faster, then collide, hard, with the ground. Everything screams in pain, before everything goes dark, and I am suddenly thrusted back to the beginning of my day. _

 

_ It starts off regularly enough, I wake up to my Nutcracker alarm, taking a twenty minute shower, I then get dressed, and walk downstairs, from there on out, I make and ate breakfast, then do the dishes, before getting the morning mail and newspaper, before I going back inside to sort through everything. I rarely have days off, so I decided to make the most of it, which meant sleeping an extra ten minutes, before driving into the office anyway. I just left for the office, dressed in my casual clothes, black jeans, black combat boots, and a graphic t-shirt, my long auburn hair thrown back into a bun. I have my backpack in the passenger seat, full of clothes, my old polaroid camera, and a few other select things, I am going up to my cabin right after I finished what I needed to at the office. Reversing down the drive, I start down the road, careful of all the ice, it had rained last night but being as cold as it was, it froze this morning, making most of the drivers out be extra careful. Just as I round the corner to the street my job is on, there is a screeching sound, along with the blaring of a semi horn, I look up in time to yank my steering wheel the opposite direction, my car's brakes scream in protest, before there is a loud crash, and everything goes black. _

 

_ Then there is white, blindingly bright white, patches of it, before I am aware of the fact that I am laying down, my head is pounding, my lungs aching as my body seems to scream, there is ringing in my ears, that gives way to people talking frantically. "...BP is dropping!" _

 

_ "She losing blood too fast!" My breathing starts to rattle with anxiety, my eyes roll in the back of my head, body jerking sharply, painfully. _

 

_ "SHE'S SEIZING!" _

 

_ "WE NEED A CRASH CART IN HERE!" Then, I'm floating, above my body, watching the doctors, nurses, and code team work over my broken, mangled body. _

 

_ "CLEAR!" Someone shouts, they slam the paddles into my chest, which jolts through me painfully. _

 

_ "Stop it!" I cry out. _

 

_ "Charging to 200." Someone says. "CLEAR!" Another sharp jolt, causing me to scream. _

 

_ "STOP!" I cry again, begging for them to hear me. _

 

_ "We're losing her!" Someone shouts, another sharp jolt, and suddenly, everything is dark again, a loud flat lining sound fills the air. That's when I woke up, to wherever I was, the spiders chasing me as I ran, then I jumped through the green hole, and fell, landing with a harsh impact. _


	2. Chapter 2

   ~Chapter One~

My eyes fly open, breath ripping from my throat in a sharp gasp as my head swims, pressing myself forward with one arm, before realizing that I am on a bed, in a warm cabin, lit up by a few torch sconces along the walls. "Good! You're awake!" Someone says, causing me to look up, finding a wide-eyed, pale girl with short, shaggy, jamaican rose colored hair with pointed ears is sitting beside me in a chair.

 

"Wha-What?" I'm pointedly staring at her ears.

 

"You gave us quite a start, I managed to convince Cassandra not to drag you down to the dungeons." I blink sharply, my eyes trailing across the dark green tree branches tattooed across her face. "When you fell from the Breach, you caused almost as much of an uproar as I had." 

 

"The... Breach?" I ask, causing her to blink.

 

"You... don't remember anything, do you?" She sighs, her blue eyes flicking to the door, then back to me. "The Breach is a hole in the sky, we're not sure what caused it, but I woke up in the dungeons, accused of causing it- this," She reaches up at hand, a large, glowing green slit across it. "let's me link to the rifts that crop up around Thedas, I had used it to attempt to close the Breach, but just as it closed, you fell through. You almost died." She pauses. "The healers, they tried their best to heal all your wounds, and they did really well, but... the damage to your eye..." I slowly reach up, realizing that a raised scar starts from the my hairline, going down over my eye, ending at the bottom of my cheekbone, before I realize, I can't see my hand as I wave in in front my eye, suddenly, she captures my hand in her own, gently settling it back on the bed.

 

"Wh-Where am I?" My voice is quivering, causing her to look at me sympathetically.

 

"It's alright, you're safe. We're in the village of Haven, on Thedas. Can you tell me what you remember?" She asks.

 

"I remember... an accident? I was dying, then waking up in some dark place, giant... things, chasing me. I jumped into some green, it looked like a rip?" I shake my head in confusion. "I remember falling, then landing, and... then everything was dark." I look up at her. "Y-You said, we're in a place called Haven?" Suddenly, my breathing hitches at her nod, causing something to click in my head. ‘Oh my gods! Th-This is Haven, as in... Dragon Age? As in, the video game series?!’ I look up at her. "Impossible!" I breathe out. "I-I-I shouldn't be here! I can't be here! I-I-I need to go!" I cry out, going to throw back the blankets, but her hand captures mine, stopping me.

 

"You can't!" My head snaps up to hers. "I mean," Her pale cheeks flush red. "we have questions for you, we need you to answer. People want answers, to see if you’re behind any of this.”

 

"If I’m-  _ What?! _ ” I demand, causing her to wince, looking down as her ears droop a bit.

 

“I’m sorry!  _ I’m so sorry! _ ” She cries, tears filling her crystal orbs. “It’s the only way I could get Cassandra to agree not to drag your unconscious body off to the dungeons!” She seems… childish? Naive, that’s the word. She seems as if she’s not very old, like a child, and… now that I have a better look at her- her short shaggy hair, rounded baby-face, innocently wide eyes, and soft voice, she can’t be much older than my sister had been.  _ My sister _ , there’s someone I hadn’t thought about in years. Libby hadn’t been more than 19, when she had passed away- Well, we say passed away, but she had been killed in a mugging.

 

“No,  _ I’m _ sorry.” I sigh, ducking my head as she wipes her eye. “What’s your name?”

 

“Aaliyah, first to clan Lavellan.” She pauses, biting her bottom lip. “W-What’s your name?” Her question gives me pause, racking my brain for a moment, then I force my eyes to widen in false confusion.

 

“I don’t know.” I lie, causing her to tilt her head at me, brow furrowing as she looks at me. “I remember my parent’s names, I remember my sister’s name.” My voice fades, as I grab my head for added measure. “What did I say I was doing, before I came here?” I ask.

 

“You said something about… an accident, and that you were dying.” She answers.

 

“That’s right. Memories of the accident, of difficulty breathing, then the experience before I woke up here, but what about before that? Who was I? What was my life like, before I woke up? Did I have a job? A pet? Why can’t I remember? I can’t remember anything else, about my entire life!” I cry out, attempting to add to the lie, to make it convincing, throwing back my sheet, I quickly stand, finding myself in brown leather breeches, and a long sleeve, tanned tunic.

 

“Take it easy.” Aaliyah holds her hands out, placing them on my shoulders, she forces me to sit back on the bed. “Can you explain to me, what you mean?”

 

“I mean, I don’t know my name, but I know my parent’s names. I don’t know where I come from, but I remember my little sister’s name, and I know that I’ve never been here, but I know almost everything there is to know about this place.” I explain, continuing to lie as carefully as I possibly can.

 

“Maybe you should rest more?” Aaliyah asks, causing me to frown.

 

“No, I’m fine, I just can’t figure this out!” I answer, looking down at her as I stand. “Well, we’ll have to come up with  _ something _ to call me, we can’t just call me nothing.”

 

“Oh! You want  **me** to name you?!” Aaliyah looks momentarily panicked, looking down for a moment, before beaming up at me. “What about… Eliana?” She asks.

 

“Isn’t what… elvhan?” I ask, her brow furrows.

 

“Yes. Isn’t it fitting that you’d have an elvhan name? You are elvhan.” I blink rapidly at her, before forcing a smile onto my face.

 

“Ah! Yes, it’s so easy to forget.” I lie, frowning as I sit back on the bed, her eyes brighten as she smiles, bouncing over towards the door, where she picks up a pair of black boots, walking over to me.

 

“Put these on, and we’ll go see Cassandra.” Aaliyah says, handing me the boots, I take them, carefully slipping them on, and doing up the laces. Standing, I follow Aaliyah outside, catching a glimpse of myself in a mirror as I pass by, catching sight of my pointed ears, one of my eyes is a clover green, the other is pale blue with a scar over it, instead of their dark muddy green, my once auburn hair is now as red as flames, and my ivory face now has brown sugar and peach freckles spotting it. “Eliana?” My head snaps over to find Aaliyah patiently waiting by the door, causing me to wonder if I had really stopped to stare at my reflection.

 

“Sorry. I was… curious about my scar.” I lie, turning to hurry after her, she opens the door, causing a blast of chilled air to slam into me, shaking me down to my boots.

 

“We’ll go the Chantry, first. Cassandra is sometimes in there.” Aaliyah gives me a sympathetic look as I force a smile on my lips, holding my arms for warmth. “It’s this way.” She points to left, causing me to nod, hurrying after her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got early access to Mass Effect Andromeda, so I am going on Hiatus for a bit. Sorry, I've been wait for this game for a few years now, and I HAVE TO PLAY IT!

 

~Chapter Two~

 

Standing in the war room, Cassandra is pacing behind the table, while Josephine, Leliana, and Cullen stand before it, while Aaliyah is standing beside me, her hand on my shoulder as I look at my feet, ears drooping as Cassandra finally seems to speak, slamming her hands on the table, causing both Aaliyah and I to jump. “ _ How _ do we know that you are not lying?” Cassandra demands, causing me to frown. “How do we  _ know _ you lost your memories?” Her orlesian accent is thicker than I thought it may be, her hair is darker too.

 

“We  _ don’t _ , but would it matter if I said that…  _ I _ trust that she lost her memories?” Aaliyah asks, falling quiet as everyone looks at her. “It  _ is _ possible that the same thing that happened to make me forget, made  _ her  _ forget?” I bite my bottom lip, looking down as strange sense of guilt churns in my stomach. “Until she remembers, or she starts to remember, she has no place to go, so she can stay here.”

 

“ **_What?!_ ** ” I wince as Cassandra slams her hands down on the table, eyes narrowing as I sigh, raking a hair through my flame-like locks.

 

“Um, if you’d  _ please _ allow me to stay here, I will work for room and board.” I shuffle my feet, looking at her. “I can serve in the tavern, or… I am rather good with horses, if you need a stable hand, I can clean the library, or-”

 

“Stop, Eliana.” I look over at Aaliyah. “I don’t expect you to do that,” Her gaze turns dark, and she slams a hand down on the table. “ _ this  _ is what the Inquisition is about, is it not?” She points to me. “Helping those that need it, defending them from the end of all life as we know it, protecting them from the monsters that the  _ rifts _ spit out. We can start by taking her in!”

 

“But-”

 

“Cassandra, you accused me of killing the divine, but, your accusations have proven wrong. **_Don’t_** make the same mistake with another person.” Aaliyah begs, her eyes brightening as all eyes land on Cassandra, whose resolve seems to be visibly crumbling.

 

“As you wish, Herald.” Cassandra nods as I look at Aaliyah in thanks, before Josephine speaks up.

 

“I will have a room prepared for our guest, in the tavern. In the meantime, Leliana will put in an effort to find which, if any, clans are missing a member, and Cullen will see that she is put to training.” Josephine drags her quill across the board, while Cassandra mutters something, stalking out as Aaliyah turns to me with a bright smile.

 

“Before training, how about we get you something warm to wear, and something filling to eat?” Aaliyah offers, my stomach seems to answer for me, growling loud enough to catch everyone’s attention as I feel heat tinge my cheeks.

 

“Um… Food sounds rather appealing.” I answer, causing her to giggle, a bright and cheerful giggle that doesn’t seem to fit with the expression she had been wearing moments ago.

 

“Food first.” She wraps a hand around my arm, tugging me from the room before I can protest, she lets go, only to skip ahead as I follow skeptically. She exits the Chantry, leading down the pathway to the tavern, pausing in her steps so fast, I cannot help but stumble into her. Leaning around her, I gaze up at her, before following her line of sight to an all too familiar dwarf, and angrily familiar elf, who are speaking as the latter of which leans onto his staff, lips quirking to the side. His head is actually shaved, I notice from the little crops of dark hair, barely visible to a human, his chin his pointed with a little dimple on the end, his ears seem much sharper than either Aaliyah’s or myself’s, he also towers over us both. He is in his “hobo apostate” wear as Dorian and Vivienne had dubbed it in the game, a long sleeve white tunic, green leather leggings, black footwraps, without any shoes despite the ice cold snow crushed beneath our feet, and that dumb, wolf’s jawbone hanging from the leather cord around his neck.  _ I never got that _ . I think to myself.

 

“Ah, it’s our esteemed lady herald!” Solas says, I hadn’t notice he’s turned his head, his voice seems to rumble through me, trickling down my spine, though he is looking at Aaliyah. “And, who is this?” His gazes turns to me as I straighten, rounding to Aaliyah’s side, his eyes are a deep grey-blue when they connect to my clover ones, with old age and wisdom written in them as I stiffen, his gaze in cold, ruthless, almost, as it rakes over me, as though assessing if I am important or not. Aaliyah seems to thaw at this, because she tilts her head, a large smile spreading across his dusty pink lips, seeming to catch Solas off guard, he stares at her as his expression softens slightly.

 

“This is the girl that fell from the Breach, she doesn’t remember her name, so we’ve been calling her Eliana.” Aaliyah says as Varric swoops in with a smile.

 

“Hello there! Name’s Varric Tethras, rogue, merchant, story-teller extraordinaire.” He smirks up at me, I shuffle back as Solas crosses over to us as well.

 

“My name is Solas, if you must know.” His gaze fills me with an unsettling feeling, deep inside of me.

 

“Um… Eliana.” I murmur, causing them to stare, before Varric speaks up.

 

“You’re a quiet one, aren’t you?” He teases, grinning at me as I mutely shake my head, looking down as I hug my arms, against the cold.

 

“No, just cold…”I shiver. “and hungry.” I answer as I feel my stomach turning.

 

“AH!” Aaliyah jumps. “That’s right! Food!” She beams at me, nose crinkling. “Why don’t you accompany us inside?” She offers, gesturing towards the tavern, the men both nod, following as Aaliyah leads me inside, I sit down as she walks over to Felissa as Solas takes the seat directly across from myself, and Varric sits a seat down from me.

 

“So, you’re like our great lady herald?” Varric asks. “Fell from the fade, and can’t remember shit about it.”

 

“Um…” I feel heat encroach my cheeks. “Yes.” I nod, looking at my hands in my lap, fingers picking at the cuticles on my hand.

 

“You don’t remember  _ anything _ about yourself?” Solas asks.

 

“I remember my mother and father’s names, my sister’s name, and for… some  _ odd _ reason, I know  _ almost  _ everything about Thedas, but,”I take a deep breath, looking up at him. “that is it.” I explain.

 

“Sort of like, selective amnesia?” Varric, despite his short stature, sits up straight, looking at me in curiosity. “Maybe you had a crappy life, that’s why you lost your memories in the fade? You  _ wanted _ to forget. What about it, chuckles?” Varric directs his attention to Solas, who is watching me, while I occasionally look between him, and the table before me, the feeling is back.

 

“It is possible, though highly improbable.” He answers finally, just as Aaliyah comes sweeping over, sitting directly beside me as a waitress joins us, setting a large bowl of stew before each of us.

 

“Mystery soup again?” Varric groans as I take up a spoonful of it, blowing the steam away, before I swallow it, the taste is meaty, the feeling is slimy, and it’s all I can do, not to throw it up as soon as it hits my tongue.

 

“It’s… rather unappetizing.” Aaliyah says after watch my face. “My apologies.” I shake my head at her dejected look.

 

“No no. I-It’s… It’s better than my father’s cooking.” I state truthfully. “I remember that much. His was burnt, he insisted on cooking the vegetables in a pan, before dumping them into the stew, they were always burnt.” A memory of the time my father added so many peppers that my sister and I threw ourselves on the floor, scrubbing our tongues against the dirty nasty carpet, brings tears to my eyes, and I force myself to give a laugh. “I… suppose that I… won’t be seeing him for a long time, if I can’t remember where we live.” I frown as Aaliyah looks at me sympathetically, placing a hand on my arm.

 

“Alright! I’ve decided!” Aaliyah calls, causing me to jump at her abruptness, looking at her in confusion. “From now on, you’re my little sister.” She points at me, causing me to blink, staring at her in shock. “No getting out of it! Now eat up, sis, you need your strength.” She shoves a piece of bread into my mouth, a bit too harshly, causing me to couch as I pull it out, muffling my cough with my hand, and bite a piece off happily.

 

“Alright then.” I agree, feeling that much happier. “That’s fine by me, although, I believe I’m older.”

 

“Doubtful!” Aaliyah laughs. “I’m 50.” My eyes widen as I find myself staring at her, causing her to frown. “What? You should know, elves live to be at  _ least _ 150 years. You’re merely a child.”

 

“Um…” I shake my head. “Right. I just didn’t realize you were that much older than me.” I lie, quickly scooping some stew onto the bread, shoving it into my mouth so I do not have to speak.

 

“So, are you any good with a blade?” Varric asks, causing me to frown as I look down.

 

“She wouldn’t remember that!” Aaliyah states, causing me to look at her as she turns to Solas. “Would she happen to be a mage?”

 

“No.” Solas answers, his voice is stern, as though my being a mage would be an insult. “Though, there is something about her, in her blood, that is odd.” His tone seems to become delicate, while I stare at him in confusion. “Perhaps it is the trick of a demon.” He murmurs, before standing to cross over to Felissa, obviously to get himself a drink.

 

“Well, it won’t matter if Eliana wouldn’t be any good with a blade, Cullen’s going to be training her.” Aaliyah answers, causing me to feel heat rush up my neck at the fact that the great Commander Cullen, is going to see me for a klutz. “Also, it’s a muscle memory, if anything. All Dalish are trained in weapons, one way or another.” I scoop another spoonful into my mouth. “It’s not like she’s clumsy.” I choke on my food, causing Aaliyah to look at me in shock, patting me on the back as Varric raises an eyebrow at me, while Solas wanders over, sitting across from me once more.

 

“Are you well?” Solas asks.

 

“Fine. Just fine.” I manage to rasp out. “I choked on my soup.”

 

“Well, now that you are done choking, you must hurry up, and eat. We need to get your armor, and speak with Cullen about your training.” Aaliyah says, going back to her stew as I stir my bowl, pausing as I feel a gaze of curiosity upon me, I look up to find Solas watching me, before his eyes narrow, mistrust filling his gaze as he turns to his stew and drink. “Are you alright?” Aaliyah asks me.

 

“Yes, I’m just…” I prod a piece of mystery meat with my spoon. “I’ve lost my appetite.” I answer, causing her to frown, before nodding. “I’m also a bit tired, can we speak about my training and armor in the morning?”

 

“Of course, a lot has happened today. You’re worn out.” Aaliyah rests a hand on my shoulder, her expression is sympathetic. “Since your room will not be ready tonight, you can stay with me, in my cabin.” I nod as she stands. “Goodnight Solas. Goodnight Varric.”

 

“Goodnight,  _ Da’len _ .” Solas answers.

 

“Goodnight, Herald.” Varric answers as Aaliyah walks out.

 

“Goodnight.” I murmur, hurrying after the small elf as fast as my legs can take me, she’s already disappearing down a set of steps by the time I can spot her. Hurry after her, she comes into sigh as I slow to a walk behind her.

 

“It’s not much,” She opens the door to her cabin. “but it’s warm and sturdy, and something of a resemblance of  _ home _ .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates are coming again... soon.


	4. Chapter 4

~Chapter Three~

 

My eyes narrow in on one of the two beds in the large cabin, before I cross to the nearest one, falling face first into it, and curl up in the warm wool blankets, while kicking my boots off. “Goodnight.” Aaliyah calls, climbing into her own bed, pausing only to remove her boots.

 

“Night.” I murmur quietly, waiting for a few hours until I can hear Aaliyah’s quiet breathing even out, I slowly sit up in the bed, reaching for my boots to slide them on, I creep over to the door, casting a glance back at my… fellow elf, she grumbles in her sleep, rolling over with a loud snore, before I smile to myself. Noticing a cloak hanging beside the door, I snatch it up before, slipping out the front door, and quietly pulling it shut behind me. It’s obvious that, after waiting so long, that almost everyone in Haven has gone to bed, which leave me with enough of a leeway to escape to a private place, to think things over. Throwing the cloak over my shoulders, I latch it around my neck, huddling into the  _ oddly _ warm furs as I pull the hood over my head, starting down the stairs out into the training yard. A swift look around, I can spot the stables, so I walk over to them, climbing the gate to lead a chestnut from the stall, lead in one hand, I tie the horse to the post, setting it’s tack up with well practiced movements, before I lead the chestnut past the soldier's encampment, climbing into the saddle, I take off down the snow covered path.

 

The icy wind blows my hood back, making my flame-like hair whip out behind me as I stir the horse quickly, egging the horse on faster, before I start to slow her to a trot, once the village is out of sight, directing the horse into the woods. Once I feel as though I am far enough, I climb out of the saddle, tying the horse’s lead to a branch, before crossing to the small clearing in the middle of the trees, gathering a few sticks and some dried out pine needles for kindling, I start to make a fire, as it lights up the area around me, I warm my hands, gazing into the flames. Thoughts see to bombard me all at once, of...  _ How am I to ever get home? What if I never do? Am I never going to see my family again? Am I in any danger?  _ The mental inquiries cause tears to burn in my eyes, causing me to breath deeply, attempting to force them back.  _ Okay, calm down. _ I tell myself.  _ First, we need to make a list. How I got here: I somehow died, and ended up falling through the Breach. Second, How I am to keep my secret: Still Unknown. Third,How to make a living here: Working at the stables, during my free time, would be the best way. Fourth, How to keep what I know, a secret: Well, considering I’ve only gotten past the Well of Sorrows, with Solas dumping my Inquisitor, before I had rage quit… not much to tell. Thank god I avoid the spoilers on the internet, that would be a  _ **_lot_ ** _ more difficult to hide things. Fifth, How to stop Solas from breaking Aaliyah’s heart: She obviously cares for him already, her gaze is already mooning… He,  _ **_thank gods_ ** _ , is oblivious to that. But… since when is it possible for the Herald to fall this fast for someone?  _ I ask myself.  _ Oh, like you’re one to talk! You fell for him within seconds!  _ The logical part of my brain argues.  _ Not my fault! It’s that chuckle! The same thing happened with Fenris! _ I argue back, only to pause.  _ Am I arguing with myself? _ I blink at this revelation.  _ No dip, doorknob. _ “Okay, I am officially too tired, and losing it.” I say aloud, standing to knock the tiny fire over with my boots, kicking snow onto the smoldering embers, before I walk over to the horse, starting back to Haven.

 

Once I am in Haven, I remove the chestnut’s tack, walking her back into her stall, before I start back into the gates, slipping inside the cabin I share with Aaliyah, I cross to the bed once I’ve hung the cloak back up, kicking off my boots, I fall into the blankets, curling against the warmth in content. I simply close my eyes, falling fast asleep, my dreams are haunted by giant spiders, a swirling green thing in the clouds, and the faces of those that I have met, today, making me toss and turn restlessly. I wake up a few hours after falling asleep, to find the sun hasn’t even started peeking over the horizon, but instead of attempting to fall back into another restless sleep, I shove my feet into my boots, and cross to the fire, which I stoke to life. Spotting some meat and vegetables sitting beside a pot, and a knife, I start to chop the veggies, cleaning the meat from the bones, before I take the pot, walking out the front door, where I stop a servant. “Excuse me?” She jumps, looking up at me. “Two things, first I would like to clean my teeth, do have something for me to use.” She nods. “Excellent, bring me them please?” She nods in shock. “Also, can you fill this halfway with water?” I hand her the heavy pot.

 

“Miss, I can just bring you a pitcher of water.” She states, causing me to blink, before blushing as I nod.

 

“R-Right, that would make more sense. Please hurry.” I take the pot back, lugging it inside, and hang it on the hook above the flames, I stick the bones of the meat in the pot, spying some herbs laying on a nearby table.

 

“Here ya are, miss.” The elven servant hands me a pitcher of water, before setting a box down on the mantle. “And your supplies for cleaning your teeth.” She scurries away, back towards the door, shoot Aaliyah a nervous look.

 

“Oh, uh, wait!” She jumps at my cry, looking back at me. “Herbs,” I gesture to the table. What do I use to season the food?” I ask nervously, she blinks at me, before moving forwards, picking out a few bundles, and sets them beside the box on the mantle. “Thank you, um… I didn’t catch your name.”

 

“L-Lydia, miss.” She says in surprise.

 

“Thank you, Lydia, you’re a great help.” I smile at her, a shocked lock crosses her face, before she smiles back, nodding her head, and turns, rushing out.

 

“You are welcome, miss.” She sticks her head back in, just to say as I pour the pitcher of water into the pot above the flames. Dropping in the herbs, one by one, stirring, I wait for the beef bones to cook down a bit, before I remove them from the stock, dropping in the actual meat, followed by the vegetables, and a few more herbs. While waiting for the stew to start cooking, I look at the box that the servant brought me, taking it from the mantle, I cross over to the vanity on Aaliyah’s side of the room, setting it down there, I flip it open, staring at the things inside the box.

 

“Birch twigs? Chalk? Salt? Mint?” I ask in confusion, with a sigh, I close the box as I turn back to the stew, stirring it as the smell causing my stomach to rumble. I hear Aaliyah groan, causing me to look over, finding her sitting up in bed, stretching to the point where her ears noticeably pop, before she smiles over at me. “Morning.” I greet her.

 

“Something smells good.” She answers.

 

“That would be the stew. I hope you don’t mind, but you had the supplies, and I was hungry.” I explain.

 

“Not at all. You can cook?” She tilts her head, asking as I smile softly at her, nodding as she inhales deeply, climbing off the bed, before she seems to melt into a puddle at my feet, a happy groan in her throat. “Please tell me it’s ready.”

 

“Not yet, about five or ten more minutes.” I answers. “Why don’t get get yourself ready for the day?” She nods, standing to cross over to the vanity, she brushes through her hair with a hairbrush, which just seems to bounce back into place, then she opens a box, similar to the one the servant brought me, but lighter, and sticks a birch branch into her mouth, chewing on the end of it. I find myself watch as she then mashes the mint up, before mixing in the salt and chalk, before pulling the twig from her mouth, and she runs her finger over the end of it, so it resembles toothbrush bristles, dipping it into the strange mixture, I watch as she cleans her teeth, before gargling with water, and spits it into the basin beside her vanity. Just as she starts to turn back to me, I whip my head around, stirring the pot of stew, an embarrassed heat rushes my cheeks, at the fact that I couldn’t figure that out myself.

 

“So, how come you haven’t gotten ready yet?” She asks, crossing to her dressing screen, and I bite my lip.

 

“I… um… I was too hungry.” I answer, causing her to laugh.

 

“Well, as soon as Sissy has food in her tummy, she should brush her hair, and clean her teeth.” Aaliyah says, causing me to hum in agreement.

 

“Stew’s done.” I state, dishing myself a bowl, after dishing her some as well, she hoots, rushing over to me in naught but her tunic and undergarments, taking her bowl, and starts to eat while sitting on the floor. After we finish, she continues to dress while I brush out my hair, which I discover reaches my mid back, then clean my teeth, before Aaliyah slips on her boots, turning to me as I plait my hair back.

 

“Ready to start out the day?” She asks, I nod as I start towards the door behind her, she beams at me as she skips towards the gate, leading down past the stables, towards the blacksmith, who looks up in surprise from the table before him, which is cover in different sketches of different things of armor and weapons.

 

“Ah, Herald of Andraste, is this the one lady Cassandra spoke of?” The blacksmith asks.

 

“Yes, Harritt.” Aaliyah loops her arms around one of my own, beaming brightly. “We’ve got another one, I’d like to get her suit with rogue armor, as soon as possible.”

 

“Of course, Herald.” He looks at me. “Let’s get your measurements.” He gestures to an elven servant girl, who bows, before looking up at me.

 

“Lydia!” I call.

 

“Ah! Miss.” She beams at me.

 

“Call me Eliana.” I state as I follow her off to the side, while Aaliyah and Harritt pour over the schematics, attempting to decide which would be best for me, while Lydia starts to measure my height, waist, arm length, leg length, and such, humming and smiling all the while.

 

“Done.” She says, not even ten minutes later, all of her measurements jotted down on a paper in her hand. “You may go.”

 

“Thanks for the help, Lydia.” I walk over to Aaliyah, who gives me a sad smile. “Something wrong?”

 

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you, but Solas, Varric, Cassandra, and I will be going to the Hinterlands, we start traveling today.” She explains.

 

“Oh.” I frown.

 

“Harritt will have your armor done in a few hours, then you begin training with Cullen this evening.” She sighs. “We’ll be back in a few days, be good until then, okay?” I nod, smiling up at her.

 

“I promise not to get myself thrown into the stockade, while you are gone.” I tease, causing her to let out a laugh.

 

“Okay, well, why don’t we have lunch together?” She offers, causing me to wince, looking at her.

 

“As long as  _ I _ cook.” I state.

 

“Deal!” She chirps happily, before grabbing me by the arm, dragging me towards the tavern, and I follow behind with a simple laugh.


	5. Chapter 5

~Chapter Four~

 

To my surprise, I found that without Aaliyah, coping with the impossible, crazy experience, which in fact is  _ not _ a dream, is much more difficult, than I would have first believed, crying myself to sleep, becomes a nightly routine. Leliana had noticed me sneaking off the first night, so she posted people to watch me in shifts, much to my chagrin, constantly, then, when I am not training with Commander Cullen, training with my dual blades, I am with Josephine, learning to read and write in the common tongue throughout Thedas. The three had been surprised to find that I could not read nor write in their language, and my story seemed to shift once more, they believed me to be a  _ slave _ , whose master had a fascination with the dalish, and died at the Conclave, which due to my quieter nature, calloused hands, scar covered body, and overabundant fear in being locked away, I do not correct them. It is a few weeks before Aaliyah returns for naught but a day, the entirety of which is discussing the Chantry summons to Val Royeaux, a discussion of my believed origins, and Aaliyah’s rest- if you can call it that.

 

“Sissy!” I look up from my ink covered pages, many of the letters and words have been scratched out in the anger or annoyance, only to be glomped upon by Aaliyah. “Come with me to the tavern! Varric’s starting a game of Wicked Grace!”

 

“Alright.” I sigh, setting my quill on the table, before capping the inkwell, and standing, brushing the fallen pieces, of the afterfeather, from my lap. Aaliyah bounces on her heels ahead of me, while I follow diligently, before we stop in the tavern, and she shoves me, into the large bustling crowd, causing me to stumble to the floor before a large table with Cassandra, Varric, and Solas sitting there.

 

“Well well!” Varric laughs as Aaliyah skips over, dropping into a seat beside Solas, while I slowly stand, brushing my knees off. “Nice of you to join us! I thought our esteemed Lady Herald would take forever to bring you back, and we’d start without you two.”

 

“Doubtful.” I answer, taking a seat in between Varric and Cassandra, the latter of which gives me a sympathetic smile.

 

“So, Wicked Grace, it emphasizes deception, cleverness and the matching of various hands of cards to achieve a numerically winning hand..” Aaliyah says, smiling at me as she tilts her head, blue eyes bright with excitement as she continues on to explain the rules.

 

“So, you were a slave?” Cassandra asks, causing me to look up at her, lifting a flagon of water to my lips, avoiding any alcohol intake, so that I don’t accidently become a blabber mouth.

 

“It would appear so.” I answer, looking back down at my cards in my hand. “I still don’t remember my past, much.” I place a card down on the table, causing everyone to groan, laying down their hand, suddenly a large pile of coin is passed my way, causing me to smile in confusion. “Did… Did I win?” I ask in confusion.

 

“Yeah, kid.” Varric answers, causing me to giggles happily, brushing my red fringe from my eyes, causing everyone to look at me in surprise. “Did you just-” My face heats up a bit, as I lift my glass to my lips, guzzling it before I set it on the table, and look at them.

 

“Next game?” Everyone nods, we end up playing three more rounds, before I call it a night, wandering up the stairs of the tavern, where I quietly walk the hall, before I stopping at the last door, and opening, before slipping inside. The room is small, cramped, a bed shoved up on the furthest wall, underneath the window, a small chest sits at the foot of it, back also against the wall, it is filled with tunics and breeches, a dress or two, and a few pairs of boots and flats sit along the foot of it. The walls are barren, blue with lilac flower designs across them, the bedding is flat white, the mattress is thin and slightly rough, and the blanket is woolen and cold, with a few holes here and there, simple yet comfortable. Crossing over to it, I kick off my boots, before turning and falling back against it, my arms landing by my head, hair billowing out around me- fringe falling in my eyes, causing me huff it away.

 

“This is almost…  _ tiring _ .” I murmur as I close my eyes, rolling over to face the dark night, falling fast asleep, almost as soon as my eyes flutter closed.

 

_ Roses, daisies, tulips, irises, carnations, everything bright, colorful, a familiar garden. “Daddy! Daddy!” A smaller version of myself calls, running across the grounds, to where my father is standing, he’s tall with dark blue eyes, brown hair, and he smiles as he stoops down, catching the young me in his arms, swinging her around, her little legs kicking in the air. _

 

_ “Hello, cowgirl!” He smiles at me. “Where’s your dress?” _

 

_ “I changed!” Tinyme calls, causing him to chuckle, tugging at my camo pants and t-shirt. _

 

_ “You look like you’re about to go hunting.” He teases. _

 

_ “Bang! I’ll shoot a big ol’ deer!” Tinyme cries, laughing. _

 

_ “That’s my tomboy.” My dad says, hugging tinyme. The scene changes, tinyme is now dangling from a branch, a bunch of rocks and water only eight feet below, while Libby reaches out to me, from her place on the branch. _

 

_ “H-Hold on!” She cries. _

 

_ “Go get daddy!” I tell her, she frowns. _

 

_ “N-No! I can’t just leave you, you’ll fall!” Libby argues. _

 

_ “You can’t reach-  _ **_you’ll_ ** _ fall!” I argue back, she frowns, but nods, scurrying down the branch as fast as she can, climbing down the tree, which causes the branch that I am on to bounce, my fingers slipping, and just as Libby escapes from sight, my grip slackens, and I am falling, a scream rips from my throat, and rocks dig into my back, cutting into the skin as I land in the water. I struggle to the surface, coughing against the rapids, and the flow of the water. _

 

_ “ _ **_Kaleigh!_ ** _ ” I look up as my dad dives into a deeper part of the water, before everything goes dark, the water rushing over my head. When everything becomes light again, there are paramedics around me, I sit up, coughing water as I look around. _

 

_ “Daddy?!” I cry, one paramedic looks at me, then glances behind him, I scramble to my feet, bursting forward, slipping between the outstretched hands, before I come to a stop as I many zips a bag up over my dad’s face. “Daddy? Daddy?! Daddy!” I cry, hands grab my from all sides, preventing me from going anywhere, I scream, and cry, and holler, and everything goes dark. _

 

I burst up in the bed, gasping for breath, before I lay back with a groan, the light of the rising sun across the horizon is already seeping into the room, causing me to groan as I roll out of the bed, slipping on my boots, and exit the room, starting down the stairs as I let out a yawn, rubbing at my good eye.

 

“Good morning, Eliana.” I jump, letting out a scream as I whirl around, hand swinging out, connecting with someone’s chest, the person stumbles in place for a moment, before looking at me in surprise as I blush, realizing that it’s a certain hedge mage, and huff out a breath, dropping my arm as my ears twitch nervously.

 

“Solas,  _ please _ , don’t approach from my left- especially in the mornings!” I cry, causing him to chuckle.

 

“Forgive me, I sometimes forget that you no longer have the ability to see from your left eye.” He smirks at me.

 

“Nevermind that- why are you in the tavern so early? Better yet, where is Aaliyah? I need to speak with her.” I answer, looking around the bright, nearly empty tavern.

 

“I do not  _ know _ where the Herald is, I am merely just her companion.” I nearly snort at that. “It is not my duty to know where she is at all times.” He tilts her head at me, before grabbing my chin, tilting my head up as his eyes narrow. My eye holds both his, defiantly, as his face morphs to one of pain. “You have vallaslin. It’s very light, I missed it at first.”

 

“We  _ assume _ that my master had an interest in the Dalish- the vallaslin is nearly invisible, so as not to offend others, but becomes more pronounced when I blush, or become extremely pale.” I answer.

 

“It is unfinished.” He states, still holding my chin, causing my brow to furrow.

 

“Might I have my face back? This angle is quite painful.” He blinks rapidly, before dropping his hand away from my face, before I roll my neck and shoulders, sighing.

 

“You are very… vocal, and ornery, for a former slave.” He states.

 

“It’s a  _ theory _ .” I state, glaring at him.  _ Screw you egg-head. You broke my Inquisitor’s heart! _ “Have you never heard of  _ theories _ ?”

 

“I have, it’s just interesting that the theory is that you were a  _ slave _ .” He states.

 

“Is that so?” I demand.

 

“Yes.” He answers, blankly, causing me to raise an eyebrow at him. “Don’t you think that, if you know your family- why don’t you miss them?” He question makes me freeze, before turning towards the door.

 

“Don’t you have something magic to do? I need to find Aaliyah.” I throw over my shoulder, suddenly feeling very short with him, walking out the door, treading down the path to the gates. Wandering over to the blacksmith, I find Aaliyah bent over a table, her fingers pinching a quill between them, her hand flying across a piece of paper, and the most serious look on her face, that I have ever seen.

 

“Then, the belt went like this.” Aaliyah dictates, beside Harritt, who nods his head, before Aaliyah wipes her sweat spotted forehead, and smiles up at me. “You need something, Sissy?” She asks.

 

“I wanted to talk to you.” I answer, causing her to nod, setting the quill on her paper down, and wanders over to me, smiling brightly, only to pause as she looks me over.

 

“Are you okay? You look like you haven’t slept.” Aaliyah says.

 

“Nightmares.” I answer.

 

“Do you remember anything?” She asks as we start down the path, towards the frozen lake.

 

“I remember… my father is dead.” I answer, giving her something at the very least. Aaliyah looks at me in sympathy, she wraps me in a quick hug, and I sigh.

 

“I’m so sorry. My Mamae and Papae are dead too, so I remember how that feels.” She rubs my back, causing me to sigh.

 

“Thank you.” I respond as we pull apart, and she clasps her hands behind her back.

 

“So, we leave for Val Royeaux today, in a half an hour, actually.” She looks at me. “We’ll be gone for a month and a half. You’ll be okay, right?” She asks.

 

“Yeah. I’ll…” I look around, gaze landing on Commander Cullen as I trail off, he’s training with the soldiers, instead of his usual armor, he’s in a sweat soaked tunic, and tight breeches with his boots.

 

“Eliana?” I jump, looking over at Aaliyah.

 

“I’ll find something to do, since I should be finished with my first tier of training by the time you get there.” I give an airy wave, as she looks me over, before smirking as she looks over at Commander Cullen.

 

“The Commander is very attractive.” She states.

 

“If you say so.” I state, looking down as we trudge through the snow.

“He is also  _ very _ single, from what I hear.” Her smirk widens.

 

“I’m not interested.” I state.

 

“Your gaze says otherwise.” Aaliyah teases.

 

“I’m not-!” My cheeks heat up. “He’s handsome yes, and good with a blade, but I feel we’d have nothing to speak about. I need someone mentally sti- I need someone smart.” I answer, realizing that I am start to use large words, that wouldn’t be suitable for a  _ former _ slave.

 

“Right. So, the Commander is out of the question, because he is not…  _ smart _ enough.” Aaliyah asks, causing me to turn to her, curiosity now on her face.

 

“That’s not all. Besides, if he’s such a catch, I encourage you to go after him yourself.” I gesture towards him, as we walk past the troops, the Commander stops for a moment, waving over to us.

 

“I don’t think so- it’s not me he’s currently waving at.” She taunts, before looping her arm through my own, and dragging me over to Commander Cullen. “Hello Commander!”

 

“Good… um… morning, Herald.” He bows his head to her, glancing at me. “Miss Eliana.” He nods, causing me to nod back.

 

“How is Eliana’s training coming along?” Aaliyah asks, drawing his attention again.

 

“Rather well, she was clumsy at first, but, she is a fast learner. I believe that her muscle memory is to thank for that.” Cullen smiles over at me, eyes shining proudly while I let out a nervous laugh.

 

“Right. Well, Aaliyah- I want to eat breakfast with you.” I attempt to tug the smaller elf away.

 

“You’re a templar, right?” Aaliyah asks, tugging me back to her side, not having moved an inch.

 

“I  _ was _ , if you need insight into what the Order is doing now, I’m afraid I can’t offer more than you already know. Anything else, I will answer as best I can.” Cullen answers, standing up straighter.

 

“No no no. Not at all. Eliana was expressing interest in the order. She was hoping to become one, and Cassandra and I were looking into it for her.” Aaliyah says, smiling, while Cullen looks at me in surprise, causing me to duck my head, cheeks tinging red.

 

“I see. Well, I will help however I can.” Cullen answers.

 

“Right, do templars take vows?” I feel my skin prickle. “‘I swear to the Maker to watch all the mages’ – that sort of thing?” She asks, causing me to bite back a groan.

“There’s a vigil first. You’re meant to be at peace during that time, but your life is about to change. When it’s over, you give yourself to a life of service. That’s when you’re given a philter – your first draught of lyrium – and its power. As templars, we are not to seek wealth or acknowledgment. Our lives belong to the Maker and the path we have chosen.” Cullen explains, I can feel myself fluster.  _ Don’t you do it, Aaliyah _ . I think, glaring at her, she looks at me, before smirking a she nudges me sharply.

 

“A life of service and sacrifice. Are templars also expected to give up… physical temptations?” Seeing as it’s the first thing to pop in my head, I can’t help to ask.  _ God, dammit Aaliyah! _ I hiss at her in my mind.

 

“Physical? Why…” Cullen coughs, clearing his throat. “Why would you… That’s not expected. Templars can marry – although there are rules about it, and the Order must grant permission… Some may choose to give up more to prove their devotion, but it’s, um, not required.”

 

“Have you?” Aaliyah asks, causing me to lower my head as I press a hand to my forehead.

 

“Me? I… um… no. I’ve taken no such vows. Maker’s breath – can we speak of something else?” Cullen chokes out, causing me to sigh as Aaliyah beams.

 

“You’ll have to forgive me...” Aaliyah winks at me. “but Eliana has strange questions. I have to go.” She smirks, twirling away from us, leaving me standing there, smiling nervously, looking up at Cullen, who rubs his neck, smiling nervously at me.

 

“Right… uh… Bye!” I turn, racing away as fast as I can.


	6. Chapter 6

~Chapter Five~

 

Standing at the gates of the city, I watch Aaliyah place her foot in one of the stirrups, the horse the totters forward, causing her to let out a wail, her foot slipping down, and she falls forward, face first in the mud. She lifts herself onto her elbows, huffing the mud away from her face as I let out a startled laugh, slapping a hand over my mouth as Aaliyah looks over at me with a glare. “I’d like to see  _ you _ do better, Eliana.” She spits at me, causing me to snort, rolling my eyes as I step forward, grabbing the horse by the bit.

 

“You haven’t got his tack tied tight enough.” I state, handing her the reins once she stands, she grasps them as I round the horse’s side, tightening the tack, before taking the reins. “Now try mounting, just not from your left side.” She gives me an annoyed look, before placing her foot in the stirrup once more, climbing on with much more ease, causing her to give me a surprised look as I pat the horse on the bottom, and pull a carrot out of the bag across my shoulders, walking around to the horse’s front, feeding it.

 

“You are surprisingly good with animals,  _ Da’len _ .” Aaliyah teases.

 

“I feel comfortable around them.” I answer, causing her to let out a laugh.

 

“Perhaps we should bring you along, on the missions, to care for the horses.” She says, causing me to look at her like she’s crazy. “Focus on your training for now,  _ sister _ .”

 

“ _ Dareth Shiral,  _ sister.” I respond, causing her to nod, placing a hand on my head.

 

“You stay safe.” She says, giving my an indecipherable look, causing me to feel confused, so I just decide to nod as I step back, waving at her as they ride away in a hurry. As soon as they’re not in very any longer, I let out a sigh, looking down as I lower my hand, pressing my hand to my chest, and looking down as the feeling of loneliness encroaches me.

 

“Stay safe,  _ please _ .” I whisper, turning around only to jump, letting out a startled scream at the figure lurking behind me, Commander Cullen blinks rapidly, before holding up his hands in a calming manner. “S-Sorry, you startled me.”

 

“I came to bid the Herald good-bye, and good luck, but she was already gone.” He explains. “I am glad I caught you though, Lady Montilyet has asked me to tell you, if I’ve seen you, that she will be busy for most of the duration that the Herald is gone, she’d be appreciative if you’d mind postponing your reading and writing lessons.”

 

“But I-” I look down, sighing as I twirl a red lock around one of my fingers. “A-Alright.” I nod, looking up at him. “I’ll use the time to work on my training, or something.” I answer, looking at the gates once more.

 

“Perhaps, I can have one of the scouts train you in using a bow?” He offers, causing me to look back over at him, and I smile brightly.

 

“Please, I would appreciate it.” I nod.

 

“You seem to be needing something to occupy your time. Have you thought about working at the stables?” Cullen asks, gesturing towards the village, the two of us starting down the path. “You seem to enjoy the company of the horses. I notice you spend most of your spare time in the stables already.”

 

“I don’t…” I shake my head. “I don’t think that’s the job for me.” I answer. “I enjoy the company of animals, and caring for horses is most natural for me, but I would rather spend my time learning as much as possible.”

 

“Don’t you want to buy things from the merchants? Make things more… homey?” He asks.  _ With the fire destroying Haven later? No thanks. _ I think to myself, before I just shake my head.

 

“I don’t mind. I wouldn’t want to get too comfortable, then it turns out that I’ll be going elsewhere again.” I explain, causing him to rub the back of his neck, nodding.

 

“I see. I can understand that reasoning. Then, perhaps you can help around the village, for coin, for the Inquisition?” He offers. “Perhaps, when this is all over, you can use the coin to build a life? Now that you are free.” I pause in my steps, looking at him in surprise.  _ Is he… worried about me? Is that what that look Aaliyah gave me, is about? That’s…  _ **_odd_ ** _ , yet very sweet of them. _

 

“A life after this all…” I let out a nervous laugh. “Feels a little odd, trying to picture it.”  _ Will I still be trapped in this world? Or, will I have truly died? Will I die, trying to fight, and save others in the battles? _ “I honestly can’t imagine it.”

 

“I assume many understand that. Though, you’ve a bit different life that the others. From what we understand of your past.” Cullen says, he looks up at the sky. “The sky won’t be scarred like this forever, though. It’d do you good to try, and start planning something ahead of time.” He glances over at me. “I will be here for you, if you wish to talk to someone, or even if, you ever need something.”

 

“I… Thank you, Commander.” I stammer out.

 

“It’s just Cullen, if you don’t mind.” He says, causing me to hesitantly nod.

 

“Eliana!” I turn in time for me to catch the servant that’s helped me in the past, Lydia, waving to me. “I wish to speak to you about something.”

 

“Ser!” I turn as Cullen turns towards the call, a knight is rushing over to him with a small stack of papers, causing Cullen and I to shrug at each other, before turning away.

 

“Yes, Lydia?” I ask, stepping towards her. Now that she’s not bustling about, or covered in shade, I can get a better look at her. Her hair is a in a messy bun, it’s the color of sunflower petals, and her eyes are wide, burning with the color of chartreuse, her ears a pointed, like my own and Aaliyah’s, and she’s in ratty clothes, with her feet wrapped in soggy brown clothes. It strikes me just  _ how _ much people treat myself and Aaliyah different, from the elven servants here, and I cannot help but feel my blood boil at the thought.

 

“I was wondering if you like to help me with some of the orphaned kids, that the Herald has had escorted back to Haven. I’ve been matching them up with some of the Pilgrims, and,” She smiles at me. “most are happy as they can be, but the ones that I haven’t been able to find homes to, I do my best to take care of.” She explains. “But, with my working to help the Inquisition, I’ve also had little time to help them.”

 

“Lydia, I would love to help.” I state, causing her smile to brighten that much more, leading me away from the training grounds, further down the path, out of the way, to a large group of tents set up with children and teens of all ages, each huddling around the fires, dressed in ragged clothes, not bothering to make a sound. Not even the little ones. “How many are there?”

 

“There were around 60, not there is less than 23.” Lydia answers, causing me to shake my head, looking over at her.

 

“Any mages? We’re going to need glyphs- protection runes, wardings against demons, if that’s the case.” Lydia shakes her head.

 

“None that I’ve found, but the elven mage that accompanies the Herald, ser Solas I believe, he’s put wards up around the camp, just to be sure. The work nicely.” I blink at her in confusion, as she slaps a hand over her mouth, causing me to gape in surprise.

 

“Lydia, are you-?” She shushes me, watching the area around us, from where we stand at the edge of the children’s camp. “I swear, nobody will hear it from me.” I smile at her, hopefully in a reassuring way, before looking around the camp again, taking in the details again. The thin tents, small fires, threadbare clothes, and distance from the Chantry all both anger and unnerve me.  _ This camp would be first to be hit, in Corypheus's attack on Haven. _ My mind automatically points out, causing me to nod, breathing in, deeply.

 

“What first?” Lydia asks.

 

“Can you draw glyphs?” I ask, causing her to pause, before nodding. “First things first, we pack this camp up, and move it inward, into Haven. If that Breach explodes, or we get attacked, this camp is prime meat, it’ll be hit first.” She looks at me aghast. “There’s a space over by the Chantry that’s currently empty, I’ll talk to the Commander about moving the orphan camp over there.” I glance at her. “Can you start packing up, while I do that? I’ll see if he’ll send over some help as well.” She nods firmly, and I start back up the path, finding the commander quickly.

 

The next two weeks are spent in the little make-shift Orphanage that Lydia, her sister Penelope- who looks much like her sister only with a shade or two lighter hair, and blue eyes, one of Leliana’s people, Taevel- a young elven man with muddy red hair and teal eyes-, and myself started beside the Chantry, the area having been cleared away by men that Cullen had been nice enough to provide. The trees that had been cut down, became fires for the kids to warm themselves by, the branches from the bushes being kindle, the snow that was cleared was used for water for all, the Chantry and mountain walls provide cover from the harsher wind, through the sun beams on the camp all day, and the Chantry provided extra, warmer blankets for the children to sleep in at night. Penelope, being one of the hunters, provides nug meat and leathers to the orphanage, which feeds the children, while Lydia and I use the leathers, to make thicker, more weather savvy tents, and spare scraps go to Harritt, to make boots for all of the little ones without shoes. While Penelope hunts, and I train, Taevel and Lydia look after the orphanage area, Taevel trains the older ones to wield a blade,  _ just incase _ , while Lydia entertains the younger ones, bringing a bit a light back into their lives, and when one pays attention, you can see the two elves sharing looks across the small encampment. It’s endearing, that making friends, and my friends finding a way to care for each other, during this dark time, though I can tell that Penelope has started to fall into a sadder state, in seeing that Taevel and Lydia have gotten closer. I hold out hope that she will happiness yet, for she has clearly stepped out of the way for her sister.

 

It is two weeks, and five days after we’ve set up the orphanage, three weeks and two days, since Aaliyah has been gone, when there is a change in Haven’s peaceful atmosphere once more. Walking out of the Chantry, late one afternoon, from scrubbing a week’s worth of sweat, gunk, and tears away, I notice a small crowd forming outside of the tavern, causing me to walk over as I rub my hair with a piece of fabric that passes for a towel. “Why don’t you blow it out your shitey arsehole?” I hear an obnoxiously loud, yet familiar voice yell.

 

“I just meant that I don’t think it’s any of your business if-!” Is that Taevel? Shaking my head, I break through the crowd in a hurry, to find Sera, in her yellow plaid breeches, her torn, burgundy, shirt, and brown flats, with her bow and quiver of arrows, standing a few feet from Taevel. Sera has her bow in hand, arrow knocked into place, the tip pointed in Taevel’s face, causing me to frown.

 

“ **_Enough!_ ** ” I shout, pressing them apart, causing Taevel to look at me in surprise as I turn my gaze on Sera, so I can see her better than if I couldn’t at all, she’s staring at me, bow and arrow still in place. “Taevel,  _ what _ is the meaning of this?!” I whirl around to look at him, he frowns, pointing at Sera.

 

“She  _ just _ got here, today, and is already causing trouble in the peace we created!” Taevel answers.

 

“It was just a bloody joke! Shite.” Sera roars in indignation, causing me to turn to look at her. “All I did was joke about the fact that he and that one elf servant were bumpin’ bits when they weren’t taking care of that orphy-whateva! That’s the itty-bitties were like their babies!”

 

“Look, you’re new here, so you don’t get it. We don’t talk about stuff like that!” Taevel snaps, causing me to frown, holding a hand up in his face.

 

“Enough, Taevel.” I state.

 

“But-” I shove my hand further in his face.

 

“ _ Enough _ .” I look over at Sera. “Taevel, Lydia, Penelope, and I all take care of the orphans. We do our damn hardest, to make sure that they’re okay. We  _ each _ take care of the kids. Don’t make fun of our hard work.  _ Got it? _ ” I demand, causing her to open and close her mouth for a minute, having set her bow on her back, the arrow in her hand.

 

“Yeah. That was a piss-monger thing for me to joke about. I’ll say my sorries, cause I’m to baddie in this case.” Sera looks at Taevel, who shakes his head, walking away as I let out a laugh.

“He’s fine. He’s embarrassed because you just got here, and already you know his biggest secret.” I explain with a smile. “I’m Eliana, you must be Sera- Aaliyah wrote me about you.”

 

“Right! You’re the glowy one that doesn’t glow!” I look at Sera in confusion. “You both walked out of somewhere, but the All-Touched Lady Herald glows, and… you don’t.” She explains with a shrug.

 

“Yes, let’s put it like that.” I answer.

 

“You all elfy too? I’ve already met one bald arse-hat, elf, and our All-Touched space headed Herald, elf, I don’t need to add another.” Sera states.

 

“According to the others, around here, I’m an ex-slave. My master, and all of their next of kin, if they had any, are apparently dead. I am free.” I answer.

 

“Ouch, yeah, not all elfy. But, at least you don’t seem into some kinky shite, or other.” Sera chirps, causing me to blush a bit.

 

“Right, you settin’ up in the tavern?” I ask, causing her to cackle, nodding with a bright grin.

 

“Prime place for prank targets. Everyone is too drunk to fight back. They’d rather sleep while I play.” She answers, and I nod.

 

“Right, well I need to get to the orphanage camp- I’ll enjoy speaking to you again.” I state, causing her to cackle again.

 

“See ya, Eliana.” Sera says, entering the tavern as I give her a wave, before starting toward the children’s camp.

 

Standing before the looking glass in Aaliyah’s cabin, which she has asked me to occupy while she is gone, I take the ends of my flame-like hair between two fingers, before huffing one of the locks out of my face in annoyance, and reach down to the dagger sitting on the vanity, and bring it up, ripping it straight through the mucky locks. I watch as the strands fall to the ground, the rest of my hair stops just below my shoulder blades, and I take a green ribbon, tying the rest of my hair back in a ponytail with it, and put on my leathers, grabbing my bow and quiver of dulled arrows from beside the door as I walk out. My feet crunch on the snow as a few of the orphans run by, laughing as they play tag, causing me to smile at them. “Mavix!” A gangly elven teen, with dark brown skin, and white hair turns to me, smiling as he hurries over, the other orphans pausing their game to wait.

 

“Yes, Lady Eliana?” He asks.

 

“What did I tell you, about calling me that?” I demand, causing him to give me a sheepish look.

 

“Sorry, Eliana. Did you need something?” He asks, his bright blue eyes looking up at me.

 

“Remember, some of the kids are smaller than you, give them a fair chance. Okay?” I ask softly, setting a gentle hand on his head.

 

“Yes, Eliana.” His nods, hurrying over to the others.

 

“Rika. Mayhew. Vix.” They each come over, smiling up at me, Vix is the youngest of the orphans, she’s only six years old, which to an elf here, that means she’s practically still a baby, she has bright green eyes, and skin the color of charcoal, her hair is bright red as well. Mayhew is a young boy, only 16, with green eyes and charcoal colored skin as well, his hair is a maroon color, he’s Vix’s older brother. Rika is a pale, human girl with violet eyes, and blonde hair, she’s as old as Mayhew, they seem to get along well, which pleases me. “Kill him.” I whisper, causing their smiles to each brighten as they look at me, before glancing over at each, and racing over to Mavix, hurrying away to continue their game while I walk away.

 

Following the path down to the soldier’s training camp, I come to a stop a few dozen feet from the training dummies, drawing my bow with an arrow knocked into place, I take aim at the where the heart would be, drawing a deep breath, and let the arrow loose, only for it to flop to the ground, causing me to frown. “Are you  _ joking _ ?!” I groan, dropping the bow to the ground, as I press my palms to my eyes.

 

“That was bloody shitey.” Sera cackles, causing me to wrinkle my nose, looking over at her.

 

“Leave me be, Sera. I’m training.” I state, lifting my bow up once more.

 

“You ain’t drawing back far enough!” Sera crows, causing me to raise an eyebrow at her, she shrugs, bounding away as I take aim once more, and drawing the bowstring back once more, this time I pull back even further, my arm starts to ache by the time I release the arrow, causing it to fly forward, missing the dummy, and implanting into a person’s shield, causing that person to look up in surprise as I let out a nervous laugh, seeing that it’s Cullen.

 

“Dear maker!” Cullen says, looking down at the arrow embedded in his shield, then looks up at me with wide eyes.

 

“I-I’m sorry Com- er… Cullen! I’m so sorry!” I call, hurrying over to him as he chuckles.

 

“It’s quite alright. Nobody was hurt.” Cullen answers, setting his shield down as a soldier runs up to us, but Cullen holds out a hand, waving them off as he looks over at me. “I see you’ve started training on the bow, during your extra time as well.”

 

“I… appreciated the suggestion.” I answer, causing him to nod. “I thought it might be smart to start training in a various amount of weapons, that way I may defend myself, should I need to.”

 

“That’s a smart plan.” He looks down, gesturing down the path as I lean my bow and quiver of arrows against his shield, and we start down the snow trodden road. “I meant to inquire, what you plan to do, once we’ve closed the Breach. When the Inquisition is no longer banded together.” He explains.

 

“I… hadn’t honestly thought of it.” I answer, causing him to frown. “I mean, I doubt I’ll have a place to return home to, so…” I look up at him, smiling softly. “Perhaps I’ll wander Thedas.”

 

“You just plan to-” He shakes his head. “Perhaps the inquisition can look into a position for you, in the royal guard, or something?” He offers, causing me to look at him in surprise.

 

“That… would be appreciated. Greatly. Thank you so much, Cullen.” I answer, causing him to nod, rubbing the back of his neck, his cheeks seem start to tinge pink. My stomach drops a bit as I realize that he’s blushing, shaking my head, I turn to look at him as I walk backwards, clasping my hands behind my back, and smile up at him. “Is there any chance that Aaliyah and the others will be back soon?” I ask.

 

“She-  _ They _ will be back sometime in a week or two.” Cullen answers. “You and the Herald seem particularly close.”

 

“She’s kind of adopted me as her younger sister.” I answer, causing him to nod as I whirl around, looking up at the sky as we continue down the path. “I remember my sister, Libby, she was killed when I younger.”

 

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Cullen frowns, looking at me.

 

“Aaliyah seems to remind me of her, they both seem so young, and innocent. I want to be able to protect her, like I was unable to do for my sister.” I look over at him. “You understand why, right?”

 

“More than you’d believe.” He nods.

 

“Eliana!” I whirl around, finding one of the older kids from the orphan’s camp, hurrying over with one of the smaller kids in their arms. “She’s hurt,  _ bad _ !” I hurry over, finding the little kid is bawling her eyes out, her leg is bent at an odd angle, and bleeding.

 

“Okay, take her over to Adan’s, I’ll be over as soon as I find Lydia.” I turn to Cullen. “Sorry, Cullen, but this is bad.” I call, before hurrying off towards the Chantry, in search of my elven friend. Instead, I manage to find Taevel, who hurries to the alchemist’s cabin with me.

 

“Vivia?” Taevel asks, leaning down beside the young girl, who is lying on the healer’s cot, her leg is bent oddly, the bone is protruding out of the skin, as Adan digs around in the cupboards, muttering under his breath.

 

“Do you know how to fix this?” I ask Adan.

 

“No, I’m not a healer, I’m an alchemist.” He spits at me, causing me to frown, point to Taevel.

 

“Give me your belt.” I order, setting to work quickly to fix Vivia’s leg, and make her an improvised traction splint for her leg, before wandering out of the cabin, the cold air of the suddenly late night sweeps over me, cooling my sweat caked skin, and I find myself wandering towards the Chantry. Entering the small church-like building, I look around feeling a bit lost as I wipe my forehead free of sweat, pausing beside a pillar, to lean heavily against it as the little girl’s cries of pain echo in my head, making my stomach turn.

 

“Lady Eliana?” I look up in time to see Josephine exit her office, her eyes widen as suddenly my eyes blur, and I stumble forward, before landing on my hands and knees, a sob escaping me. “My word! Commander Cullen, would you please help me?” Suddenly, I hear heavy steps as I lean back, wiping my eyes as someone lifts me to my feet, and a gentle hand lands on my arm. “Are you well? Do you need something?” Josephine’s gentle voice asks as tears seem to fall freely.

 

“N-No, I’m fine.” I reach up, wiping at my eyes, trying not to sniffle so freely. “I’m sorry! Th-This isn’t me. I don’t cry so much.” I bow my head, deeply. “I’m so sorry.”

 

“It’s okay, breathe.” Cullen says.

 

“Why don’t we move this into my office?” Josephine asks softly, I rub my arm, nodding as Josephine leads the way, Cullen following after me. Once we enter the office, Cullen gently pushes me down into a seat, while Josephine sends a servant for tea, and Cullen sits beside me. “Now, Mistress Lavellan left specific instructions, that if we’re to continue to getting her help closing rifts, and helping expand the inquisition, that we are to help you in any way we can.”

 

“It’s nothing than you can help with.” I answer, honestly.

 

“Though, something  _ is _ bothering you?” Cullen inquires.

 

“One of the orphans broke their leg today, and Adan couldn’t fix it.” I shake my head. “I stepped in, and started to fix it, but… her cries, her screams were… haunting.” I explain, the servant enters silently, setting the tray on Josephine’s desk, and moves to leave, when I grab her arm, gently. “Thank you.” I tell her, causing her to stare at me, surprised before she nods her head to me, scurrying away as the other two look at me.

 

“Now, I understand your worry, but surely the girl is alright now?” Josephine inquires.

 

“She’s going to be fine, once her leg heals- I made her a splint. She’s going to have to take it a bit easy, but she’ll be able to move around still.” I take the cup of tea that Josephine offers me, taking a sip as my hands shake a bit. “It’s just gonna be hard to sleep tonight.”

 

“Perhaps a book? I can escort you down to the library, and perhaps help you pick a book?” Josephine offers, causing me to shake my head.

 

“Thank you, but I don’t have think I’d be up to trying to struggle through one tonight.” I answer.

 

“Perhaps, the tea will help.” Josephine answers, causing me to look down at the dark liquid in the small cup, before setting it on the desk.

 

“Thank you, I think I will attempt to sleep now. I’m feeling much better.” I slowly stand from my seat. “Good night.”

“Wait, I’ll escort you to the Herald’s cabin.” Cullen offers, feeling too tired to fight, I remain quiet as he stands, walking over to my side, the two of us exiting the office, slowly walking out of the Chantry. “Have you ate tonight?”

 

“I…” I shake my head. “I can’t stomach anything, tonight.” I let out a sigh. “I just want to go to sleep.” He frowns, the rest of the walk remaining quiet, he doesn’t even say anything once we stop outside Aaliyah’s cabin, and I murmur a quiet good night, before I close the door on him, falling into bed once I’ve kicked off my shoes, and falling fast asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

~Chapter Six~

 

“Where’s Eliana?! Where is she?!” I look up as I lift a little girl onto my hip, she’s a tiny thing, maybe 80 pounds, with brown hair, blue eyes, and small, pointed ears, her skin seems too frail. “Eliana!” Aaliyah appears from the side of the Chantry, she’s covered in dirty, her cheek is cut, blood dribbling down it as she smiles brightly at me.

 

“Look look look! It’s the Herald!” The girl bounces in my arms, causing me to let out a laugh as Aaliyah stops before the two of us, tilting her head as Solas rounds the side of the Chantry as well.

 

“You look good with a child on your hip.” Aaliyah smirks as I let out a laugh, shaking my head as I set the young girl on the ground, she beams up at Aaliyah, then scurries off as Solas wanders over to us. “I see you were busy, while we were gone.” Aaliyah gestures to the camp, that seems to have grown in twice the amount of time she’s been gone.

 

“Yes, while you’ve been taking in orphans, they’ve been setting up a camp for them on the very outreach of Haven. Cullen gave me permission to move them over here, they shouldn’t have to suffer, just because they don’t have families.” I explain as we walk towards the tavern, Lydia enters the camp in my place, Taevel is out on a scouting mission for Leliana, and Penelope is down in the training area, taking over for Cullen as he’s suffering from a migraine.

 

“So, how is your training coming along?” Solas asks.

 

“Um, it’s fine. If finished my first tier with my daggers, and I’ve started on the bow now. Cullen says that he wishes for me to take sometime on the daggers more.” I answer as we sit down at the table.

 

“You do not jest, today? Mellowed out, I see.” Solas taunts.

 

“You see, the thing is, I just don’t like you.” I respond flatly. “You bother me.”

 

“I see.” He frowns, his eyes though, have brightened with interest.

 

“How’s your reading and writing coming along?” Aaliyah asks, attempting to alleviate some of the tension that has settled over the three of us.

 

“Josephine wishes for me to take a break, while she’s doing some important work for the inquisition.” I answer, looking over at her, a smile stretches across her lips. “When are you leaving again? Where are you going?” I ask.

 

“In three days. We’re going back to the Hinterlands, to Redcliffe to speak to the mages about joining the inquisition.” Aaliyah answers, causing me to nod as Flissa sets two flagons of ale before Solas and Aaliyah, a flagon of water before myself, before she wanders away.

 

“How are things in the Hinterlands?” I ask.

 

“We’ve put down the templar and mage encampments, closed five or six rifts around, we got blankets and food for the refuges, and even started on the quest that master Dennet, the horse master, gave us to get horses for the Inquisition. I have to bring up building the watch towers to the Commander today.” Aaliyah answers.

 

“I wonder if he’ll allow me to help defend the builders. I’ve been wanting to get some on-field experience under my belt.” I answer, causing Aaliyah to perk up at that.

 

“Why don’t you come with us to The Storm Coast?” She asks, causing my eyes to widen at her.

 

“R-Really?” I ask in disbelief.

 

“Yes, Herald, is that  _ really _ necessary?” Solas grumbles.

 

“Why are you complaining? I’m taking Vivienne.” Aaliyah states, causing me to look down, taking a large drink as I frown.

 

“Um, I can’t just leave in three days.” I say, as if I’ve suddenly remembered something. “I have to help around the orphan’s camp, the four of us that take care of the kids, work in rotation, and I’d have to find someone to do my rotation.” I explain, looking up at her. “Maybe some other time?”

 

“No!” Aaliyah stands, stalking over to another servant, and taps them on the shoulder, they talk for a few moments, before Aaliyah skips over. “You’re coming, he just agreed to take your rotation while we’re gone.”

 

“Oh, I… guess I’m coming along then.” I mutter, looking down as I rake a hand through my hair, and Aaliyah tilts her head at me.

 

“You cut your hair.” She states.

 

“What?” Solas inquires, looking at me as I frown, then nod.

 

“It was… getting in the way of my training.” I answer, causing Aaliyah to cross her arms over her chest, pouting.

 

“But, I liked it.” She frowns.

 

“Then, perhaps you’d grow your hair out?” I provide, causing her to blink, then nod at me.

 

“Right, good idea!” Aaliyah jumps to her feet. “Now, I’m going to go see if I can conjure up a bath. Excuse me.” She smiles at me, before nodding to Solas.

 

“ _ Ma ghilana mir din'an _ .” I groan under my breath, once Aaliyah has exited.

 

“You wish to be guided into death?” Solas asks in confusion.

 

“It’s just a saying. Aaliyah is a great friend, and I think of her as a sister, but she can be exhausting with her endless energy.” I answer as I take a large drink of water.

 

“Her child-like nature is something that I will never get used to.” Solas chuckles, causing a chill to run up my spine. “But, it is not within me to wish it away, no matter how dark the world is becoming. I have noticed that her nature returns tenfold, around you. When she is on the field though, it is another matter entirely. She’s… colder, only stopping to camp well into the morning, only caring what the others want, when one of us has been harmed.” Shaking his head, he looks up at me. “She is not suited for such a world.”

 

“No, she isn’t.” I answer as I stand. “I am returning to the camp. I will speak with you again, Solas.” I bow my head to him, before walking out of the tavern.

 

“You  _ have _ to be safe.” Lydia states, hugging me as I let out a laugh.

 

“You know I will. It’s not like I’m going to die easily.” I state as I pull back, knocking on the leather plate covering my chest, before Penelope steps up, patting me on the back, while Taevel stands off to the side, watching as the sisters bid me good-bye, before I hurry towards the stables, where Aaliyah, Vivienne, and Cassandra are choosing their mounts.

 

“Ready to go, sissy?” Aaliyah asks as she skips over to me, beaming up at me, she’s dressed in her plate armor, which looks like it’s swallowing her whole body, causing me to bite back a laugh, nodding.

 

“And who is this? I do not think we have met.” Vivienne waltzes over, bowing her head to me. “Lovely to meet you, my dear. You’re a sister, of the Herald’s?”

 

“Not truly, she’s taken me into her family.” I answer, causing her to frown.

 

“I see. Any particular reason?” Vivienne asks as I walk past her, setting up the tack for Aaliyah’s chestnut.

 

“She’s lost her memories.” Cassandra answers as I pull out another set of tack, this time for my choice, a paint, setting it up as quickly as I can.

 

“Like the inquisitor?” Vivienne wonders aloud.

 

“Yes, and while everyone has been accommodating, Aaliyah has taken me in as family.” I explain as I lead the paint horse from the stables, before the others follow.

 

“I was informed you are a former slave.” She states.

 

“It’s a highly probable chance that I was- I have scars, calluses, my muscle memory is for more menial work, and I can’t read or write.” I turn to look at the Knight Enchanter. “I obviously wasn’t a good slave, if that was this case- at least attitude wise.” I explain as Varric wanders over, a lead to a pony in his hand, as he looks me over, before laughing a booming laugh.

 

“You coming along, Pip?” He asks.

 

“Really now, Varric? Pip?” I ask, rolling my eyes as he chuckles.

 

“Well, can ya blame me? You’re all… Young, and innocent, you’re full of life, and tackling everything head on. Most of all, you are  _ young and tiny _ . Therefore, it’s  _ Pip _ .” Varric responds, before Aaliyah joins us, having mounted her horse in the stables. “Hey, Rosy! Is Pip coming with us?”

 

“Who’s Pip?” Aaliyah asks, tilting her head in confusion as I bring my hand up, looking down as she bursts into laughter. “It’s fitting!” She beams down at me. “Anyway, yes, Eliana  _ is _ coming along, this time.”

 

“Good to know.” He chuckles as I mount my horse with ease, while Varric scrambles on the back of his pony, and a servant helps Vivienne onto her own horse, Cassandra coming out of the stables, mounted with another horse tied to a lead, and the saddle- It has extra items that it is carrying.

 

“Onward!” Aaliyah calls with a laugh, the group starts down the path, Varric and Cassandra are directly behind her, Vivienne is to her right, and I am bringing up the rear, allowing the banter from the game to commence without inputting my opinion on anything. It’s a week before we’ve arrived in the Storm Coast, properly named like the game, everything is completely wet as the rain starts, renewed as Aaliyah talks with Scout Harding, and I tie up the horse’s leads, out of the way of danger and under cover from the rain. “Sissy, come on!” Aaliyah beckons me, causing me to take a deep breath, huffing as I hurry over to her side, following down the slickened path towards the Coast, stopping as we come upon The Iron Bull and his Chargers, fighting against Venatori.

 

“ **_Haaaaa!_ ** ” Cassandra charges into the fray, her sword in hand as she hacks and slashes at some of the Venatori.

 

“Save some for me, Seeker!” Varric shouts,pulling Bianca off his back, and Vivienne starts to swing her staff, while I remove my daggers from my back, blending into the shadows, while Aaliyah smashes into one of the Venatori with her shield. Jumping from the shadows, I stab one of the rogues, one that was going after Aaliyah, in the back of his shoulder, ripping my blade out of the flesh, causing blood to spray across my face, causing me to flinch as the Venatori turns toward me, and starts to swing at me with one blade.

 

“Back off!”I scream, parrying his attack, and slamming the end of my pommel into his throat, causing him to choke, stumbling back for a minute, before he looks up at me, his eyes burning as he brings up his blade, slashing at me in an angry manner as I parry strike after strike, before darting in, sinking my blade into his stomach, just as he brings his dagger down, managing to clip me in the arm, blood sliding down as I cry out, grabbing my arm as he falls dead, and I rip my dagger from his stomach, turning to catch another blade against my dagger, another Venatori, whose head is suddenly lobbed off by a giant axe, blood flying everywhere, causing me to scream, falling backwards as The Iron Bull looks at me apologetically.

 

“ _Eliana!_ ” Aaliyah rushes to my side as I take in a sharp breath, a **_big_** _mistake_ , the stench of broiled flesh fills my nostrils, causing me to recoil, flipping over onto my hands and knees, my stomach rolls as I retch on the sand, tears bitterly burning my eyes. “ _Breath_ , Eliana! Breath.” Aaliyah’s voice rolls over me in soothing waves as I wrap my arms around my knees.

 

“Is she alright?” Someone asks.

 

“First kill.” A deep rumbling voice answers.

 

“Come on, Pip.” Varric helps me stand, while Cassandra and Aaliyah walk away, talking to Iron Bull, while Vivienne hands me a canteen, which has spring water inside, so I swish, and spit the water out to rinse my mouth, and then I take a deep drink, collapsing onto a log off to the side as Varric rubs at my back. “You okay?” He asks a few minutes later after handing me some mint to chew on.

 

“I… How can-? Th-The blood.” I murmur, looking down at my hands, which are covered in the sticky red liquid, a large hand covers my own, causing me to look up, find Varric’s eyes on my face, worry in his brown orbs.

 

“It’s gonna be okay, Pip.” He rumbles. Aaliyah and Cassandra wander over, Bull following as Vivienne stands off to the side, silently disapproving.

 

“You gonna be okay there, kid?” Iron Bull rumbles.

 

“I…” My stomach rolls a bit as my eyes land on the dead bodies across from us.

 

“First kill’s always the hardest.” He rumbles.

 

“Does it get any easier?” I ask in confusion.

 

“I could lie, and say yes, but would that make you feel any better?” He crosses his arms over his chest, causing me to swallow thickly.

 

“ _ Y-You _ make me nervous.” I stammer out, causing him to throw his head back, roaring in laughter, before he’s suddenly serious.

 

“Good.” He answers, all of us start back to the camp, to start the trip to Redcliffe, Iron Bull will be staying with us, while Cassandra goes back to Haven, feeling the need to relay what has happened, and introduce the Chargers to the other members of the Inquisition. Sleep doesn’t come easily that night,  _ or  _ the next night, and my sleep is full of nightmares.  _ I’m being dragged into a pool of blood, struggling against the hold, grasping for air, eyes appearing in the blood, full of burning anger that dim suddenly, and then the blood forces itself into my mouth, nose, invading, choking, causing me to struggle _ , before I sit up sharply into my bed, gasping for breath.

 

I, then, find myself before the fire, just outside of my tent, occasionally I’ll prod the embers of the fire, or stare at the sky, on more than one occasion, Bull or Varric will ask how I am, or attempt to start a conversation with me, but the conversation ends quicker than it starts. Aaliyah’s gaze seems to linger on me longer now, worry evident as she turns us toward Haven, claiming that we need to resupply before we continue onto Redcliffe. As it turns out, the group that leaves from Haven a few hours later, is Aaliyah, Solas, Cassandra, and Varric, having left me here- I can’t bring myself to care.


	8. Chapter 8

 

It’s dark, the stars blocked by the swirl of the Breech, the air feels  _ heavy _ as I sit before the bright fire, staring into the flames, the dream flickering, echoing around and around in my head, as if to haunt me. “Can’t sleep?” A deep, rumbling voice before me, asks as I look up, finding The Iron Bull standing a few feet before the fire, staring into the flames.

 

“No. Not really.” I answer, he hums as he takes a seat before me, looking at the fire with his brow furrowed.

 

“You’re not very convincing, you know? You lie better than people might think, but you’re not getting it past me.” He suddenly says, causing me to look up at him, my brow furrow in confusion.

 

“Not getting what past you?” I final ask after a minute or two of silence.

 

“You know what. I’ve heard all about your amnesia.” He states, looking at me with one eye as I feel my stomach knot. “That’s a lot of weight on one person’s shoulders, hiding something. Makes me wonder why you would do it.”

 

“I-” I swallow thickly. “I can neither confirm nor deny your astute perspective of me, just know that the world would be better if I hadn’t survived my fall from the Breech, nor would it be any good, if I were supposedly truthful or untruthful, if I did or did not have my memories.” I answer, causing him to tilt his head at me, before chuckling quietly.

 

“Alright, kid, I’m gonna keep my mouth shut. You need to talk, come to me.” He states, causing me to firmly press my lips together. “I won’t tell a soul, Ben Hassrarth’s honor.”

 

“Spy’s have honor?” I ask in confusion, causing him to smirk, shaking his head.

 

“How about Charger’s honor, instead?” He asks, causing me to shrug, picking up my stick from the snow, and moving some of the branches to liven up the fire again. “So, I notice you wear your hair down, over your left eye- even in battle. Got me wondering how you can see.”

 

“I listen.” I answer, brushing my ginger locks away carefully, causing his eye to widen, before he nods in understanding.

 

“I see.”

 

“I’m still wary of you, but more comfortable now. You know?” He shrugs. “There’s this saying,  _ Birds of a feather, flock together. _ It means people of the same sort or with the same tastes and interests will be found together. You and I, we have our secrets, but we care for others too- enough to forego keeping our secrets, to keep them safe.” He stares at me in surprise, as I glance over at the group of tents that the Chargers are sleeping currently.

 

“Yeah? Where’s yours?” He asks.

 

“That group of tents by the Chantry?” He nods. “Those are the orphans, that Aaliyah’s been sending to Haven, due to the war between the mages and the templars, but also because of the demons pouring from the rifts. Haven wasn’t the only place to get hit hard, but we did get hit the hardest.” I explain. “Four of us take care of them, myself, one of Leliana's spies, Taevel, a soldier, Penelope, and a servant, Lydia. The orphans, those three people, and Aaliyah,  _ those _ are my people.”

 

“So, you know who your people are. That’s good.” He nods. “You know why you’re fighting this war, why you’re killing people who  _ deserve _ to be killed. That’s good. But, in order to keep fighting this war, you can’t let killing people, affect you, kid. You gotta fight, because right now? It’s kill, be killed, or let others be killed.” He’s one good eye is holding mine, the emotion in it is intense, strong as he presses his hands to his thighs, and stands. “Think on it. I’m off to bed.” With that, he leaves me sitting there, staring at the fire, this time, in deep thought.

 

A few days later, a crow arrives with a letter for me, from Aaliyah, and I spend fifteen agonizing minutes attempting to read it, before I have to search for Josephine, who is, in turn, busy with a particularly difficult guest, so I attempt to find someone else, avoiding Leliana entirely- I  _ know _ she’s entirely too good with her job- and I finally run across Bull, who is sparring with Krem. “Ah! The little bird, what can I do for you?” Bull asks, as Krem’s shield clatters against Bull’s, causing the Qunari to shove him stumbling back, and Bull holds out a hand to call time, before glancing at me.

 

“I-Uh… I don’t know if anyone told you, but… I… can’t read.” I explain, clenching to letter tight in my fist, as Krem looks at me in confusion, and a bit sympathetic.

 

“I didn’t hear anything about that.” Bull frowns.

 

“A-Anyway, Aaliyah sent me… a letter.” I hold out the scroll. “Josephine’s entertaining a guest, Cullen’s working of troop training, and Leliana… well, she’s unnerving. I’d ask Vivienne, but she’d ridicule me, and Sera, I don’t know her enough, and you… You’re the logical choice.” I state.

 

“So, what do you need me to do?” He asks.

 

“C-Can you read it to me?” I ask.

 

“Sure, little bird.” He takes the parchment from my grasp, unrolling it, and reads it for a moment. “It just says that a Warden, named Blackwall is on his way to Haven, she wants you to help him settle in. Then, it says they’ll be back after speaking with the rebel mages.” He places it back in my hand, and smiles at me. “You could always get lessons.”

 

“I have… Josephine thinks it’s best to take a break, have me focusing on my dagger-training. Especially, after what Aaliyah had told them what happened.” I rub my arm, which is wrapped tight, the wound having reopened during my shift at the orphan’s camp, lifting some of the younger kids into the air. “And my bowmanship needs work too. We need more meat for the orphans, and I could hunt before my turn with the kids. I was thinking of picking up some work at the Tavern, and helping with the soldier’s recovers from the Hinterlands.”

 

“Don’t overwork yourself, there little bird.” Bull chuckles. “You got enough to deal with.” He teases. “What, between your training, working at the orphan camp, going with the Herald, working in the stables, and you just started that little garden by the healer’s hut.” He winks at me, causing my ears to warm a bit.

 

“I like to help.” I shrug, causing him to smile at me.

 

“Why don’t you run along? Tell Leliana that her Warden from the Hinterlands is coming, soon.” With that, he sends me on my way, as dread starts to build in my stomach.

 

Aaliyah arrives in the dead of night, three days after Blackwall arrives, the talks with the mages hadn’t gone well at all, and at the buttcrack of dawn, myself, Cassandra, Cullen, Leliana, and Josephine are yawning our way into the war room, Aaliyah following, determinedly, behind. “As you all know, the mage talks were not that successful. Grand Enchanter Fiona, has handed the mages over to a Tevinter Magister.” I can feel my blood boiling, at the thought of that, having gone directly to the Templars, in my game play. “Magister Alexius is part of an occult, obsessed with me. I  _ believe, _ that it is in our best interest, to go after the Templars, instead.”

 

“ **_What?! And leave the mages in the hands of a Magister?!_ ** ” I scream, startling everyone awake as I slap a hand over my mouth, while Aaliyah looks at me in worry.

 

“What would you have me do?  _ I _ am no mage.” She states.

 

“What about those that  _ are _ mages?! Would you condemn them to slavery? Solas and Vivienne? The tranquil will more than likely be slaughtered! Why would you-” I can’t bring myself to continue as tears start to fall from my eyes, and I stalk out of the room, slamming the door behind me. I find myself in my room in the tavern, in the bed, tears falling freely as my eyes are clenched shut, an unfamiliar agony in my chest, and as the tears stop, I stare at the back of my hands. To my horror, I can see faint scars covering them, as if they’d always been there, and nobody could notice, unless they looked closely. Sitting up, I discover that the scars cross over my arms, disappearing behind my shirt- standing up, I scramble toward the looking glass, shedding my top to discover, there are scars covering the entirety of my back, and shoulders, even disappearing into my trousers.  _ Did I always have these? _ I think to myself, slipping my shirt back on, over my head, and sit on the edge of the bed, laying down as I feel exhaustion coming over me.

 

 _‘Tears fall down my face, as two pairs of hands wrap around my tiny arms, one of my hands is outstretched to a woman, being pulled away from me by two men. “Mamae! Mamae!!”_ _The woman screams, reaching out for me, her head being yanked back by her long red hair, her hazel eyes full of terror._

 

_ “ _ **_Idrilla!_ ** _ ” The woman screams, fighting against her captors, for me. “ _ **_Idrilla! Dareth, da’mi! Do not stop fighting!_ ** _ ” Tears fall as she kicks at the captors pulling her back. _

 

_ “Mamae!” I scream, suddenly one of her captor’s draws a sword, in one swift cut, the woman’s head falls from her shoulders, rolling across the ground, my scream echoing throughout the clearing. “ _ **_MAMAE!!_ ** _ ” Something strikes the back of my head, causing me to fall to the ground as everything starts to blur. _

 

_ “The magister will like this one, got some fire in her.” A growling voice says. _

 

_ “Yeah, he’ll enjoy squashing it. Shame about the woman though, would’ve caught a nice price.” A second voice answers. _

 

_ “Suppose he’ll have to make due with this one.” The first man says, gripping my chin, lifting it as my vision doubles, then triples, before everything finally goes black. The scene changes, I am pitched forward, on my knees, chains holding my arms up, I can feel something drying on my back, crusty and a sharp stinging sensation from them, obviously cuts. I look up at the door opens, a smaller elven girl, with mousy brown hair, and dull blue eyes scurries in, a bowl of steaming water in her hands. _

 

_ “Yovana.” I murmur, a copper taste filling my mouth, dribbling down my chin from my chapped lips. _

 

_ “Shh, Idrilla.” She murmurs, wiping at my face with a damp, scratchy cloth, before looking me in the eyes. “The master steaming mad, you in much trouble.” She says in broken common tongue. _

 

_ “Rather me, than you.” I answer, causing her brow to furrow, before she reaches up, gripping my hair at the crown of my head, and hisses in my face. _

 

_ “I be fine! You need stop.” She snaps. _

 

_ “I don’t want to lose anyone else.” I murmur, causing her gaze to become sympathetic as she stands, walking around to my back, and she sighs. _

 

_ “He whip you bad this time. You almost die.” She states, before gently pressing the cloth to my back, causing my scream, pitching forward sharply, shackles digging into the skin of my wrists. “Me sorry! I sorry!” She cries, patting the back of my head, I take a deep breath, and she continues, the pain eventually causes everything to go dark, and when I open my eyes, the scene has changed again. A man in blue robes, stalks back and forth before a grand fireplace, before looking up at me, his brown eyes on my face, before he looks down, pacing again. _

 

_ “You are absolutely sure, this is what my mentor has asked of you?” He asks, causing me to mutely nod. “You are to go to Ferelden, to attend this Conclave?” _

 

_ “Yes, master.” He frowns at that. _

 

_ “Then, I’m coming too. We were going to set you free, we’ll do it in this… Haven place.” He states, raking his hands through his maroon hair, and I nod. “We’ll have to keep this secret for a while longer, I do not wish for my mentor to find out, and whip you, or beat you until dead.” His brow furrows. “Then, go pack the bags, we’ll leave immediately.” He crosses the threshold to my side, placing his hand on my face, ignoring my flinch from instinct. “I would have nobody know where we go, my love.” He breathes, placing a chaste kiss to my forehead, before backing away. “Go now.” _

 

_ “Yes, Master.” I answer, before turning, walking out of the room, causing the view to shift, the color becomes distorted, green and gray, ash and death, it swallows the man in the blue robes, ash encasing his body, collapsing it in, killing him instantaneously as I turn, something green swallows my body, and I am suddenly standing before a woman in white. _

 

_ “Who are you? What do you want?!” I demand, she smiles at me, before glancing to her left- my Earth body, Kaleigh, is laying on the ground, cold, pale white, a red orb floating above my chest, barely holding on by a thread. She looks to her right- Idrilla is laying there, breathing as her head bleeds, ash starts to cling to her skin, as though the same thing that happened to the man, in the robes, is happening to her, a blue orb hangs over her body. “Why is this happening?!” I scream, she merely looks at me sympathetically, before walking over to my body, and plucking the orb away, detaching the string, before doing the same with the blue orb, from Idrilla’s body, and suddenly, they shatter completely. I gasp at her, before her hands start to glow, morphing, shifting, shaping the shattered remains together, making a vibrant purple color as she walks over to Idrilla’s body, and seems to sew the purple orb into her chest. _

 

_ “It is done. Live bright. Live well.” Suddenly Idrilla’s body starts to glow, lifting from the grounds, and everything goes dark.  _ I burst up, into a sitting position, eye burning as pictures flicker across my head, and memories stitch themselves into place, my body arches off the bed at the knock at my door, and I shove past the servant standing there, rounding the stairs, and bound out the door, stopping as everything becomes clear once more.

 

“Eliana?” I whirl around at the voice behind me, finding Aaliyah standing there, head tilted, worry on her face as I gasp for air, and she hesitantly steps towards me. “Is everything alright?”

 

“I don’t-” I shake my head. “I don’t remember.” I state, looking around for moment, before glancing at her. “I mean, I remember everything… I… I’m lost, now. Inside my head, outside my body, everything is shifting, changing, it’s hard to breath, like drowning, choking, invading my lungs, and I-” She sets a gentle hand on my shoulder.

 

“Breath.” I take a deep breath in, then let it out. “Now speak.” She urges.

 

“Idrilla. My  _ name _ is Idrilla.” Her eyes widen.

 

“You remember?” She asks.

 

“I mean… Aaliyah, I haven’t been honest with you.” She frowns. “I… can we speak in private?” She nod, grabbing my hand, and hauls me down the path, through the gate, past the soldiers, and into an empty, abandoned hut at the edge of the village. Gesturing to two chairs before a fireplace, she starts the fire as I sit down, and stare at her.

 

“So, what is it?” She asks, sitting next to me.

 

“You have to promise to listen, let me speak completely, and try not to get mad.” She looks at me.

 

“I promise, but honestly it can’t be that bad.” She states, causing me to wince, swallowing thickly.

 

“I’m… I’m sorry, I never had amnesia.” Her eyes widen, eyebrows, practically, shooting up into her hairline. “I mean, I guess I did, but it wasn’t  _ my _ past per say that I remembered. It was Idrilla’s, or well… her body’s.” I gesture to myself. “You see, I’m from a… I suppose you’d call it a different realm, than this one. I live in a place where, you and the inquisition are nothing more than a fable, a fictitious tale.” I explain. “I know nearly everything that happens-”

 

“What do you mean, nearly?” She demands.

 

“I mean that your story is so long, I’ve never finished it.” She frowns at that. “But, you see that telling you all that, could put the inquisition in danger? I could be a value to you, or I could be a value to the enemy. I could be a threat to either of you, and throw everything out of order, change things, in ways that may change everything, and not for the better.” I look at her. “I could end up getting you killed, if I tell you things that I shouldn’t.”

 

“Alright.” Her eyes narrow, and she crosses her arms over her chest. “What do you know of the Idrilla you’re supposedly inhabiting?”

 

“I think… she’s me.” Aaliyah’s brow furrows. “I know that’s strange to hear, but this memory that I have, of how I came here, she was dying, and I was dying, and then… we were both saved by our souls combining- text that I’ve found in my realm, state that the only way that’s possible, is if they’re the same.” She quirks a brow at me. “Right, her past. Her dad sold her and her mother out, to a group of magisters, who then killed him, they had been slaves that had escaped and gave birth to Idrilla. The magisters hired people to capture them, Idrilla’s mother was a mage, with very unstable powers, her master was going to use her blood in a ritual- instead they killed her mother, and Idrilla was sent to live as a slave.”

 

“So, the slave part was true.” Aaliyah states.

 

“ _ I _ never claimed to be a slave. Anyway, the master sent Idrilla and his apprentice, who was in love with Idrilla, to the Conclave, to spy. The apprentice and Idrilla started to spy, the thing was, he was planning to set her free, and claim she escaped at the Conclave, but then things went south… er… bad.” I explain when Aaliyah looks at me confused. “The apprentice died, and Idrilla was dying- I had already died in my realm, and the only way to save us both, was for a spirit to weave our souls together.” I explain.

 

“A spirit did this?” She demands, her eyes mistrustful.

 

“Yes.  _ Please _ , believe me I wanted to tell you. The pain of lying to you, the pressure of this secret, it was too much, and when I had remembered Idrilla’s past, it wasn’t just my secret anymore. It was her’s too, I had to tell you.” I explain, she stands, walking over to the window, and stares out of it for a few minutes, before turning to me.

 

“So, what do you  _ want _ ?” She demands.

 

“What?” I frown. “Nothing. To  _ help _ , that’s it. I swear.” I answer.

 

“I’m suppose to trust you again, all of sudden?! You took our friendship, our trust, and threw it out!” Her face turns red. “I should have Cassandra slaughter you, because for all I know, you are an  **_abomination!_ ** ” I flinch at her words. “Instead, you’re going into the cells.” With that, she walks over, grabs the back of my head by my hair, and slams her fist into my head, my head blurs and swims, and everything goes black as I slump forward, to the floor.


	9. Chapter 9

 

My head thrums and pounds as my eyes crack open, finding a sharp light in the dark area, the damp smell of mildew and stagnant water fills my nose, somewhere off to the side, I can hear water dripping, and a chill is seeping through my clothes, into my back. “Ugh, what  _ happened _ ?” I groan as I sit up, pressing my hand to my head, pulling away as a sticky residue covers my hand, looking down to see it’s blood. The memory of telling everything to Aaliyah, and her reaction, before knocking me out, flickers across my mind, causing me to frown as I look up, realizing that she’s thrown me in the dungeons, causing me to frown, and I stand on shaky legs.  _ Shouldn’t have said anything _ . A voice in my head says.  _ If I  _ **_didn’t_ ** _ say anything, and they found out- they would’ve been madder than hell. _ I respond mentally.

 

“You are awake.” A voice, from the shadows, sounds, causing me to narrow my eyes, searching for the source. Leliana steps into the light of the torch, eyes hard as she glares at me, and I grip the rusty bars, staring back in equal determination. “You truly know about us, then.” She watches me as she walks towards the bars, pressing against them with a glare. “You  _ know _ who our enemy is.”

 

“Maybe I do, but  _ maybe _ I don’t. I said I know  **_most_ ** of what’s happening. There are things that I  _ don’t _ know about. I didn’t know about the mages at Redcliffe being under a magister’s control, for one thing.” I pause. “Where’s Aaliyah?”

 

“The  _ Herald _ isn’t any of your concern.” Leliana sneers. “You betrayed our trust, you know. For all we know, you could be-”

 

“ **_I’M NOT A SPY!_ ** ” I hiss, anger snarling in the pit of my stomach. “I need to speak to Aaliyah! I  **_have_ ** to tell her something!” I scream, gripping and tugging at the bars, insistently.

 

“You are in no position to make demands.” Leliana answers, causing me to huff deeply, looking into Leliana’s eyes.

 

“I know what’s happened to the warden.” I state, causing her to reel back, a look of pain, and compassion on her face, before leans in, voice soft like it was when she was just  _ Leliana _ , not  **Leliana, left hand of the divine, and spymaster of the inquisition** .

 

“You know where she is?” She begs.

 

“No, but, I know what she’s doing. I can help you, I swear.” I explain. “As best to my abilities. Run tests, any of them that you want, torture me- I’m not an abomination, and I’m not a spy, I just want to  _ help _ .” I urge her to listen, causing her to nod.

 

“I believe you. I will get the Herald.” With that, she turns, walking out of the room as I sigh, resting my head on the bars of my cell, before walking back to sit on the bedroll on the floor. It’s maybe hours, before the door creeks open, Aaliyah enters the room with Cassandra and Leliana behind her.

 

“I won’t speak with them here.” I state, Aaliyah gestures to the door, and both women slip out, the door slamming shut with an echo behind them.

 

“What do you want?” She demands, I look closer, noticing her eyes are puffy, red, and have dark bags under them, like she hasn’t slept yet.

 

“I want to  _ help _ you.” I answer, taking a deep breath. “Are you still going after the Templars?”

 

“Yes. I know you don’t approve, but-”

 

“It doesn’t matter what I think, anymore, does it?” I state. “I’ve lost your trust, so why should I expect you to listen?” I shake my head, slouching against the wall behind me, feeling the stone dig into my back. “You’ve been crying.”

 

“Shut up.” She hisses, causing me to shrug.

 

“I may have lied about my memories, but that’s it. I honestly didn’t know that I was put here, by a spirit. But, I’m not a mage, and I’m not an abomination. I didn’t know this person, who’s body I am in, and I sorry that I mislead you, but I  _ do _ care about you, Aaliyah. You remind me of my little sister, before she was murdered.” Her head snaps up, eyes widening as she looks up at me, sympathy fills them for but a moment, before they darken in anger.

 

“So what?! You’re younger than me, so you’re calling me childish?” She snarls.

 

“Listen, I want to make a deal with you.” I lean forward, onto my feet. “You promise to heed my warning, and be careful, then I will never ask to see, or speak to you again. You won’t hear from me, even if I were to escape somehow.” I look into her eyes as I cross to her side, watching her for a moment. “Deal?”

 

“You…” She pauses. “You just want me to heed your warning? What do you get out of this?” She asks.

 

“Knowledge that you’ll be safe. Thedas can’t afford to lose you, and I can’t bare the thought that you might die, because I can’t do anything.” I answer.

 

“So…” She looks at me skeptically. “What’s your warning?” She asks, I take a deep breath, thinking on how to word this.

 

“When you arrive, you’ll meet a man, who still believes in the old ways, in the ways of the Templars. He will be your greatest ally. The tapestry will hang itself, ignore it, and continue on with your mission. When envy comes your way,  _ he _ will be there, to help you, in a special way.” I state.

 

“That wasn’t cryptic, at all.” She states, causing me shrug.

 

“That’s the only way I could think, to word it.” I explain. “Like I said, I can’t say too much, otherwise everything could change, and not for the better.” I answer, turning back around to walk back over to the bedroll, and I sit down again.

 

“I… I’m sorry that my reaction was so bad. I know you’re not abomination- it’s just that my mind decided to turn against me, at that moment.” She explains.

 

“It’s fine, you don’t have to explain.” I look down. “I took your trust, and I threw it away. I should have told you, right off the bat.” I state.

 

“Abominations… they are… a touchy subject.” She explains.

 

“I imagine for everyone.” I shrug.

 

“My clan was… slaughtered, by an abomination.” She states, causing me to gasp. “I was at the lake, washing the clan’s clothes, and I noticed screaming, I had started back towards the camp, when my Keeper told me to run, through this communication crystal.” She holds up a purple stone around her neck. “She had said that, the clan’s first has consorted with a demon, and became an abomination- you see, as first she was bullied a lot, but she was my friend. I hid in the lake, using a reed to breath through, and I wasn’t found, when I went back to the camp, everyone was dead, including the Keeper… I had found her beside the Da’lens, and I had felt rage, extreme rage. The Keeper, she was my mother, and now… she was dead. The demon had only vanished from view, watching me as I wept, when I spotted it, I grabbed the nearest weapon, the first time I had ever wielded a weapon, in my life. I slaughtered it… I stabbed it, over and over again and again, it was dead, and I continued to stab it, until I couldn’t lift my hands anymore. I was so overcome with anger and, I cried so much, that I passed out, covered in this… gunk… this demon’s blood, and I couldn’t bring myself to care.”

 

“Aaliyah…” I breath out her name, my voice breaking. “I-I’m sorry.”

 

“That’s why I got so pissed! You said spirit, but I could have sworn it was a demon- I didn’t want another person I care for, to be a demon, and abomination. I was going to slaughter you, before you had a chance to spawn into one, but the others- they had convinced me not to. I was told to give you a chance, and then, Leliana told me you wanted to speak. So, I came.”

 

“I’m sorry.” I state.

 

“I’m sorry too. You know, that I may never be able to trust you again, right?” She states, causing me to sigh, nodding sadly. “You’re going to have to stay in here, until we know we can trust you.”

 

“I understand that.” I rub my hands against my trousers, taking a deep breath. “I will… make the best of my time, in here then.” I shrug, frowning sadly. “I just wish that I could help more. Like, at the orphan’s camp, I miss the kids.”

 

“Sorry. I have to go, we’re leaving tomorrow.” She says.

 

“Get some rest, you’ve got bags under your eyes.” I state.

 

“R-Right… I’ll have Leliana, or someone bring you down some soup. And an extra blanket, it’s chilly down here, I know that from experience.” She states, shivering as she turns, exiting the room, Cassandra following as she gives me a scathing look. Leliana enters quietly, standing with her arms behind her back, watching me as I take a deep breath, looking up at her.

 

“She’s looking for a cure.” I state, causing her brows to furrow. “To the taint, she’s looking for a cure, against it.”

 

“She… what?” She blinks.

 

“She might even be close, I don’t know for sure. There’s only one person to ever have been cured from the taint. And she could never be tainted again, for some reason. Even I don’t know why.” I answer, causing her to gape at me.

 

“I… Must look into this.” I jump up, crossing to the bars, and press my face between them.

 

“You can stop her- Aaliyah should go after the mages, but she won’t listen to me. Grand Enchanter Fiona, she can help the Warden,  _ she _ is the warden that was cured.” I whisper, catching her attention. “ _ She’s _ the one you need.”

 

“I will… try to talk to the Herald… Josephine and I have sent out invitations to the nobles already, though.” She says, causing me to sigh, shaking my head.

 

“It’s too late, then.” I huff, dropping back onto my bedroll, my knees pulled to my chest.

 

“I am sorry.” Leliana says, backing away as I rest my head on the back of my knees, and she slips out, silently. Laying on my side, on the bedroll, I curl into a ball, closing my eyes as I feel my emotions swirl around and around, washing over me, before I fall back into unconsciousness. When I wake, my door to my cell is thrown open, and Aaliyah is marching in, lifting me to my feet to push me out of the door.

 

“Huh? What’s going on?” I ask in confusion.

 

“You’re an adviser now, I’ve decided. Nobody can argue with me, not even you, so shush.” She states, pushing me up the stairs, and straight into the war room, where I stumble over my feet, landing with my hands on the table, and slowly look around, spotting Cassandra glaring in one corner, Leliana and Josephine watching me, slightly worried, from behind the table, while Cullen is watching warily from beside them, while Aaliyah enters the room. I notice a blonde haired, familiar boy sitting on the table, causing my brow to furrow in confusion. “We’ve got Eliana on our side, so that’s our answer.”

 

“What am I to do now?” I ask, turning to look at the others, wondering why they’re not reacting to Cole, just sitting on the table.

 

“Tell us anything you can, about closing the Breach.” Cullen answers.

 

“What?” I ask in surprise, looking them all over. “But, you’re not going to listen, even if I do say anything.”

 

“The Herald has told us to follow your instructions to the letter.” Josephine answers, causing me to sigh.

 

“Open the mines, below Haven, stock them with food and supplies, weapons. Turn the trebuchets to the mountains, stock them with anything we can spare, and kept guards posted beside them, all day, every day. We’re going to need healers, and Chancellor Roderick.” They all look at me in surprise. “He  _ is _ still in Haven, yes?” I ask in worry.

 

“Y-Yes.” Cassandra answers in shock.

 

“He is the  _ only _ one who knows of another pass, through the Chantry, have him show you the way. We’re going to need a guard on him as well.” I explain, glancing at Cole once more, who doesn’t seem to even realize that I am here.. “Arm everyone that can hold a blade, who isn’t too young, or too old to fight.”

 

“Why?” Cullen asks.

 

“Because, after closing the breach, we’re going to end up in a war.” I answer.

 

“War?” Aaliyah asks.

 

“That’s all I can say.” I shake my head, biting my bottom lip. “Anything else, and it could change everything.”

 

“One to another matter.” Cullen speaks up once more. “You disbanded the Templar Order on the Inquisition’s authority.” He directs this to Aaliyah.

 

“You did not see what they had done, Commander.” Cassandra answers.

 

“You and the Herald fought bravely, but that decision should have been the Inquisition’s. Not yours alone.” Cullen reasons.

 

“The Order was in chaos. We had to shape it going forward, or risk losing it entirely.” Aaliyah responds, wrapping a hand around her wrist.

 

“I would have preferred willing allies, but the Order put their trust in our Herald. Surely, that is what we wanted.” Josephine reasons, scribbling on the clipboard in her hand, probably crunching numbers.

 

“A few dozen veterans are coming ahead of the rest, to help seal the Breach.” Leliana points out.

 

“How soon until these veterans arrive?” Aaliyah asks, glancing at Leliana, Cole picks up a figurine on the table, then suddenly a puff of smoke appears around him, startling everyone.

 

“Holy shit!” I hiss under my breath, realizing that he had just appeared to the others, yet I could see him this entire time.

 

“They’re almost here. Templars don’t like to be late.” Cole speaks, his voice is deep, thrilling, also like I’ve been doused in a bucket of ice, which is only falling down my spine.

 

“Maker!” Cullen rounds the table, himself and Cassandra unsheathing their swords, pointing them at the young man on the table.

 

“Wait!” Aaliyah and I call in sync, my hand landing on Cullen’s arm.

 

“I came with you to help. I would have told you before, but you were busy.” Cole answers, turning to look at Aaliyah, as I move to stand beside her, and Cole’s eyes land on my face, eyes widening a bit, curiosity filling them.

 

“That’s fine Cole. You just startled us, appearing out of thin air.” Aaliyah says, her voice is soft with understanding.

 

“I wasn’t air. I was here the whole time. You didn’t see me, most people don’t until I let them.” Cole answers, glancing at Aaliyah, then looks back at me. “But, you did.” He directs at me.

 

“You didn’t think to tell, that there was someone just sitting, listening to our conversation?” Cassandra demands.

 

“I  _ swear _ , I thought you all saw him too.” I state, raising my hands in a peaceful manner.

 

“Call the guards. This creature is not what you-”

 

“A moment please, Cassandra. I would like to hear why he came.” Leliana stops her friend.

 

“You help people. You made them safe, when they would have died.” Cole looks at me, smiling, then looks at Aaliyah. “I want to do that. I can  _ help _ .” He explains.

 

“Cole saved my life in Therinfal. I couldn’t have defeated Envy without him.” Aaliyah looks at the others, gaze landing on me. “Eliana also helped me, she told me he’s be there.” She tells, causing Cole to look at me in surprise.

 

“But, what does he want  _ now _ ?” Cassandra inquires.

 

“He’s trying to help, honestly.” I state, causing the others to look at me.

 

“I think he realize is trying to help.” Aaliyah states.

 

“I won’t be in the way. Tiny, no trouble, no notice taken, unless you want them to.” Cole says, softly. 

 

“You’re not honestly suggesting we give him run of the camp!” Cullen demands, though this is directed at me.

 

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” I answer.

 

“Not free perhaps, but it seems a waste to-  _ hold on! _ ” Josephine pauses.

 

“Where did he go?” Cassandra asks, while my gaze lands on the young man before me, who presses a finger to his lips, telling me to remain quiet. He suddenly walks out, a distinct shimmer to his skin, telling me he’s invisible to others, again.

 

“I’m sure we’ll find him somewhere.” Aaliyah answers, shooting me a look.

 

“Yes.” Leliana smiles. “We must make sure of that.” She smirks at me, eyes bright in curiosity. “I’ll have people watch the boy, but let’s not be distracted from the Breach.”

 

“I’ll watch him. I’m the only one that can see him, when he doesn’t want to be seen.” I reason.

 

“Hold on. We still don’t know if we can trust  _ you _ , again.” Cullen state.

 

“You can.” Aaliyah answers. “At least with this. She’ll report any suspicious activity. You can all trust me, to trust her, with this.” Aaliyah places a hand on my shoulder, causing me to nod my head, walking out of the room, the door swinging shut behind me.

 

“This is going to be a long road.” I murmur to myself, starting towards the tavern, where I gather a change of clothes, and make my way down the path, towards the public bathhouse, which is completely empty- to my luck. Stripping down, I slide off the ledge, into the steaming water, thankful for the natural hot springs that the bathhouse was built around, letting out a sigh as I relax in the water, I rub my eyes, continuing my bath peacefully.

 

“You’re quiet.” My head whips over, letting out a frantic squeal as Cole is crouching on the edge of the ledge, looking down at me. “Muted and hard to hear, but everything echoes, as if underwater.”

 

“Cole!” I shout, grabbing my towel as I stand, wrapping the towel around me.

 

“You knew me, before I was here.” Cole looks into my eyes, causing me to scowl.

 

“You can’t be in here, this is the women’s bathhouse!” I scream, causing him to tilt his head at me, while I con

 

“But, nobody can see me, but you.” He state.

 

“It’s call privacy!” I sit on the ledge of the bath, turning to stand up, my clothes in hand. “You can’t just wander into places that are not for you to be in.” I state, he follows as I walk over to the dressing screens, where I towel off.

 

“Why?” He asks, poking his head around the screen, causing me to grasp the towel to my body.

 

“Because, it’s inappropriate! Now, stop looking at me, I’m trying to dress!” He puffs his cheeks, before disappearing behind the screen again, causing me to rush into my small clothes, and stumble into my black leather breeches, before tugging on my long sleeve, white tunic, slipping on my vest, black leather (one of my favorites), I tie the strings shut as I round the screen. “Now, what did you need, Cole?”

 

“I don’t need anything. I  _ help _ .” He answers, watching as I scoop up my dirty clothes, walking to the door, pausing to look at him.

 

“Why can I  _ help _ you  _ help _ with?” I ask, in response he smiles at me, an adorable, tooth grin, his front two teeth have a little gap between them, making the smile that much more cute.

 

“You want to  _ help _ me  _ help _ .” He states, causing me to let out a laugh, nodding.

 

“You’re still invisible.” I state, watching the natural light, from the holes in the roof, wash over his shoulders, letting a little gleam off of him, telling me that he is, in fact, invisible.

 

“How can you tell?” He asks.

 

“You have this sort of, gleam, that bounces off you in the light, when you disappear. I noticed it in the war room.” I explain, walking out of the bathhouse, with him on my tail, the two of us starting down the path.

 

“You see me, but you don’t seem me how others see me. Right, but not right, loud but quiet. You feel as though, I’ll wash over you, like a large wash, in the coast.” His brow furrows as he follows me to my room, in the tavern, pausing outside the door while I pile my dirty clothes, and grab my daggers, sliding them into their place on my back.

 

“You’re not as I expected.” I answer, exiting my room, closing the door behind me. “But, that’s not a bad thing. Now, how about I introduce you to some others? They can help you  _ help _ others.” I offer, causing him to smile up at me, nodding as his head dips, his bangs covering his eyes once more. “Good, let’s go.” With that, I lead down the stairs, and out the door.


	10. Chapter 10

 

The thing is with, Cole being here, much has changed, I know that much. It certainly keeps the others on their toes, because they can’t seem him all the time, unlike me, though that hasn’t stopped the young man from trying to startle me, or make me forget him- that hasn’t worked out in his favor either. It also makes him more…  _ happy _ , to have someone to see him all the time, even if he doesn’t show it, because I always praise him, for when he helps someone, that seems to make happier than having to make someone forget. Taevel and Lydia have been getting closer as time moves on, taking to their shifts at the orphan’s camp, together, despite the constant teasing from Sera, I see a potential wedding in their future. Penelope has taken to doubling her workload, running routes for the Cullen, on top of her usual scouting, and her working at the camp has double as much to, as if to get her mind off of how close Taevel and her sister are. As for Aaliyah, I’ve seen her around quite a bit, always watching me from afar, though always with Solas at her side, as if their curiosity has melded together, and they cannot help, but watch me.

 

Bending over the cleared plot of dirt, beside the healer’s hutch, the snow having been cleared away for me to work, I replant the elfroot that I found cropped up this morning, my face becoming sweat-riddled as I lean back on my knees, reaching up to wipe my sweat off, on my long sleeve. “Here.”I jump, with an undignified squawk, at the voice, looking over to see a hand offering me a waterskin, looking up to find Varric standing there, causing me to take it, taking a deep drink as I stand, handing the provided skin back to him.

 

“Thank you.” I sigh, fanning myself a bit.

 

“Warmer today, than it usually is.” Varric says, leaning beside me, against the healer’s hut as I nod, removing a long blue shred of fabric from my wrist, from where it had been previously tied, and loop it through my ginger locks, tying them back, off my face. “Wonder why that is.” He states.

 

“I think your Breach may have something to do with the climate change.” I answer, causing him to look up at me, once more, as I smile down at him. “I think the Breach is making it hotter.” I explain, causing him to chuckle.

 

“I think you might be right, Pip.” He answers.

 

“Gah, can’t you come up with  _ anything _ else?” I ask.

 

“Sorry, the names chose you, you don’t chose them. Besides, you have three names,  _ your _ name, your  _ other _ you’s name, and the name that Rosie gave ya. What am I supposed to call ya, if not Pip?” Varric shrugs, causing me to let out a laugh, and then a sigh as I glance at the rest of the elfroots just lying on the ground.

 

“Eliana.” I answer, looking over at him. “I’m not myself anymore, but I’m not this person either.” I gesture to myself, then look up at the sky. “Eliana fits, that’s me now.” He nods, a silence falling over us.

 

“Looks like you got some new plants.” He says to change the subject.

 

“No.” I shake my head. “Same ones. I keep coming back, and finding them like this.”

 

“Uh, Pip, I hate to break it to ya, but I think someone’s pulling them up.” Varric states, causing me to frown.

 

“But… Why would anyone do that? This is a garden for Adan.” I state, causing him frown, and he picks up one of the plants, placing them in a pre made hole, and pats the dirt down, around it as I watch. “What’re you doing, Varric?”

 

“Helping.” He answers, causing me to smile, crouching down on my knees, and I start to follow what he’s doing. “Now, if anything happens to these plants,  _ I’ll _ be pissed.” He states as he stands, brushing his hands across his trousers as I wipe my brow free of sweat again, and wipe my hands free of dirt, looking over at him.

 

“Thank you. You didn’t have to help, and you did.” I state, causing him to smirk.

 

“No problem, Pip. You done with the things you need to do today?” He asks, causing me to nod, shrugging a bit, and his smirk widens. “Good, buy this storyteller a drink.” He presses a hand to my hip, pushing me to the tavern as I take a few jostling steps, stumbling to stop.

 

“I don’t get coin, Varric.” I look at him, causing him to frown.

 

“Right, you don’t work. You volunteer.” Varric chuckles. “Let me buy  _ you _ a drink, then.” He states, continuing to hustle me towards the tavern, where it’s practically dead inside, only two other patrons, other than Sera, which isn’t a surprise, this is how it is most days. “Buttercup, where’s Flissa?” Varric asks the other rogue, who is currently lay on the table nearest to the door, feet in air, her legs resting on the wall.

 

“Dunno, been awol all day. Been help myself to the hootch though.” Sera brays in laughter, Varric’s brow furrows as he glances around the tavern, before he watches as I skip over to the bar. Leaning over the bar, I flip over it, landing on the balls of my feet as I snatch up three glasses, and pick a few bottles from the wall of ingredients, before tasting a few in my glass, smirking as I mix something that taste like cranberries and ginger, with something that taste apple cider, adding a few drops of something lime, and some raspberry, topping it over with just a shot of whiskey all in a mixer, before shaking it together. Filtering it into each glass, Varric and Sera wander over, they both look at the reddish orange drink in the glasses, before looking up at me.

 

“Trust me.” I state, sliding them both a glass, before I take sip from my own, and smile at them. “See? Nothing bad.” They both take a sip, Varric’s nose wrinkles a bit, before he goes in for another drink, while Sera starts to guzzle her own, slamming the tankard on the bar.

 

“That shit was bloody awesome! What kind of pissface taught you to make that shart?” She asks, her eyes wide as I let out a laugh mixing her another, before slipping the ingredients back into their allotted places, and I hop on the bar.

 

“It’s… complicated.” I explain.

 

“More complicated that the shite about the different realm?” Sera asks, causing me to wince.

 

“So, you know?” I ask, my voice is soft.

 

“O’ course. Our all-touched lady herald told everyone in the inner circle!” Sera gawfs. “Not that Solas believes that shite, he just seemed to think you’re daft.”

 

“Me?” I raise an eyebrow, before shaking my head. “Doesn’t matter. It’s true.”

 

“But, that’s crazy, innit?” Sera asks, while Varric nods, continuing to suck down his drink.

 

“Crazy, but true.” I shrug. “If you must know. My mom did this as her job, for a while.” I state, causing Sera to tilt her head at me. “She stopped when she got pregnant with me, but taught me when I turned of age.”

 

“Gee, Pip, you sound so thrilled.” Varric quips.

 

“Paid for my education.” I state, suddenly the door opens, revealing Flissa, who gives me a once over, and crosses over to us.

 

“You touch my booze?” She asks.

 

“Varric’s paying.” I answer quickly.

 

“Try this.” Sera shoves her drink under Flissa’s nose, causing me to laugh as the woman grabs the drink, sipping it, and hands it back to Sera.

 

“What do you call that?” She asks.

 

“Uh… Cranberry Cider Punch?” I answer, feeling my heart hammer in my chest.

 

“Is that  _ lime _ in there?” Flissa asks curiously, causing me to nod, and she furrows her brow. “Can you make anything else?” She asks, causing me to nod again, so she snaps, and points to the alcohol beside me, along the wall. “Show me.”

 

“Uh… Okay?” I ask, pulling two glasses off the shelf, flicker through a few different flavors, I find the ones I want, putting the rest back, and start to mix the rest together, handing the drink to her. “It’s call the Kicker.” She takes a sip, before downing the rest, and slams the glass on the bar.

 

“What else you got?” She asks.

 

“Um… A lot more.” I answer, confusion flooding. “I’m sure I’ve got drinks that would knock, maybe the Iron Bull, on his ass.” I answer, causing her to smile brightly.

 

“You want a job?” She asks.

 

“Are you serious?” I ask as Sera hoots, taking a drink out of the glass I had poured for myself.

 

“You’d get paid fairly, I pay all my elves the same I pay my other workers.” She states.

 

“I just wanted a drink for me and my friends.” I state, before Varric pipes up, having finished his drink as he watched this happen.

 

“She wants the job.” I look at him in confusion.

 

“When can you start?” She asks.

 

“Um… Now?” I answer, but it dribbles down, ending in a question as she nods, rounds the bar, pointing out the different ales, the liquor types, and she explains the prices for each drink, three bits for dwarven ale, a silver for the good ale, two silver for the regular rum, five for the good stuff, 15 to 20 for my mixed drinks, like they’re some kind of hot commodity, or something, she says every coin spent on my drinks, are split down the middle between myself and the tavern. She then says that she trusts me, and leaves the tavern for me to watch over, causing me to swallow thickly. “ _ Riiiiight _ . That went too fast for me to understand.” I state, causing Varric to chuckle, before swallowing as I direct a glare at him. “Your fault.” I state.

 

“Hey now, Pip, you needed coin. You can’t just, not have coin, when we’re holding Wicked Grace matches.” Varric defends.

 

“You already lots 5 silver to her, durin the last round!” Sera taunts, sucking down the rest of the drink that I had made, before reaching for my glass of Cranberry Cider Punch, and sucking that down too, she looks at me, halfway through. “These don’t count- you didn’t have the job, when you made these.” She states, before lounging on the table by the door once more, drinking my drink.

 

“There’s not much to take care of. The most roady it gets, it later tonight- Bull and the Chargers come in here.” Varric says, as though that will help.

 

“Black, Harritt, and Dennett come in here too, they don’t talk much, but they’re drinkin buddies.” Sera crows from her place, by the door.

 

“Right, and a few of Curly’s men come in. Rarely ever Curly himself.” Varric adds.

 

“That’s a lot of people!” I cry, just as the door opens, revealing the Chargers bursting in, followed by the Iron Bull.

 

“Heard Flissa talking about how she hired a new hand!” Krem calls, looking around before his eyes land on me. We’d never actually had introductions, not that I need them, but it would be nice, just to make sure I don’t mess up, though I doubt that I’d mess up on Krem- he was one of Libby’s favorite characters.

 

“Little bird!” Bull roars, dropping into a seat, while I shake my head, breathing out a laugh.

 

“Welcome to hell.” I taunt as I walk over to him. “I mix a mean drink.” I state, causing him to chuckle.

 

“Hit me with your best shot.” He taunts, causing me to bit my bottom lip, holding back a laugh.

 

“Regular old ale for the rest of us.” Krem states, causing me to nod, moving away from them, but not before I knock on one of Bull’s horns, causing him to look at me, while laughing. I round the bar once more, filling a tray with glasses of the good ale, I was honestly gonna charge them only 3 bits for it, but they deserve some pampering, before I mix a quick drink for Bull, and set it on the tray, wandering over to place each cup down before them.

 

“What’s this?” Bull asks, sniffing his drink, before wincing as I let out a laugh.

 

“Let’s just call it, the Whooper Your Ass A.” I state, smirking as I bring the tray in my arms down to my side, watching as he takes a large drink, before letting out a large hacking, cough, which draws the attention of the Chargers around us.

 

“You trying to kill the boss, there?” Krem asks.

 

“He told me to hit him with my best shot, that drink is three below.” I answer, causing Iron Bull to glance at me, before slamming the drink back, and I smirk at him.

 

“So, who are you anyway?” The one I believe to be, Skinner, asks me.

 

“Me? Nobody important.” I answer, causing Bull to look at me, a rumbling sounds deep in his chest as I step away, only to get yanked back with a yelp, my feet flying out from under me as I land in a large lap.

 

“This is Eliana.” Iron Bull rumbles. “I am the only one allowed to call her Little Bird, got that?”

 

“Yes, Chief.” The Chargers answers.

 

“Little Bird, these are my Chargers.” He states.

 

“Your people.” I state, causing him to chuckle, recalling our conversation, merely last week.

 

“Yes, my people.” He watches as I squirm out of his lap. “This is Krem,” He raises his glass to me. “Rocky, Skinner, Stitches, Dalish, Grim, and that, all the way over there,” He points to a silence young elf in the shadowed corner- I hadn’t even noticed her until now. “is Ghost.” He states, causing me to frown, my brow furrowing in confusion.  _ Something’s changed. Ghost wasn’t in the game, at all. _ I think to myself, frowning a bit as I notice her sipping out of a flagon, most like having gotten it herself, since I hadn’t known she was over here.

 

“So, what do you all do?” I ask, just to be polite.

 

“I’m the second in command. Stitches, is our company healer. Rocky is one of our best Scrappers- blows stuff up. Dalish, our mage-” Krem gets cut off.

 

“I’m not a mage.” Dalish objects.

 

“You carry a staff, Dalish.” Bull says.

 

“It’s a bow.” Dalish responds.

 

“Yes, with glowing crystal on the top.” Krem laughs.

 

“I’ve heard people in the Dalish clans do that, helps with aiming.” I state, causing everyone to stare at me, while Dalish smiles.

 

“Exactly.” Dalish answers.

 

“Moving on, we’ve got Skinner, she’s a rogue, kills faster than I’ve seen before. Then there’s Grim, warrior. And then, there’s Ghost,” The girl sits forward, into the light, revealing a head of blonde hair, and all too familiar blue eyes. “elf, rogue, stealth specialist.” Krem finishes.

 

“What’s your real name?” I ask her, she crosses her arms, standing as she walks over to me, everyone at the table is silent as she circles me like a vulture, then stops a mere 3 inches from my face.

 

“I think you know,  _ Le-Le _ .” I freeze as she whispers my name, my  _ real _ name, my eyes widening as she pulls back. She’s older, dressed in black leather breeches, a black vest that has silver buckles across her chest, and knee length, black leather boots. Her blonde locks are paler than I first thought, almost white, pulled back into a bun that crisscrosses down to the back of her neck, and her blue eyes are bright in color, but darker in soul.

 

“Libby?” Her name escapes my lips before I can stop myself, in nothing but a whisper, and her eyes bright for a split second, the others watching as she uncrosses her arms, pulling me against her in a hug. The tray in my hand clatters to the floor, my arms coming up to wrap around her shoulders, tears building in my eyes as she helpfully lowers us both to the floor. “How are you here? Why didn’t I know?!”

 

“Breathe, Eliana.” She caresses my head, causing me to let out a tearful laugh, pressing my face in her shoulder, and she lets out a tight laugh too. “It’s okay.”

 

“Okay?!” I pull back, vaguely aware of others watching us. “You’re alive! It’s more than okay!” I cry out, Sera sits up from her table, watching us curiously, while Varric does the same from his seat at the bar, and Bull smirks down at us.

 

“Uh, Chief? You want to clue us in, here?” Krem asks.

 

“Oh, Eliana and Ghost are from the same realm.” Iron Bull answers, causing me to look up at him.

 

“You knew?” I ask.

 

“I knew you two were from the same realm, Ghost told me about the realm.” He nods over to my sister, who smiles at me. “Don’t know why you two are all gung-ho. Why’s that?”

 

“This is my sister!” I cry, in indignation, causing him to frown. “The one that was murdered!”

 

“I’m right here.” I look at my sister, hugging her tightly.

 

“You were here this whole time!” I cry, causing her to laugh.

 

“Not the whole time.” She answers, I sit back.

 

“Did you die, and come here?” I ask.

 

“Yes. Same for you?” She inquires, causing me to nod, and she sighs. “I think someone’s screwing with stuff the shouldn’t be.”

 

“Exactly my thoughts.” The two of us slowly stand, having enough of our tearful reunion. “You knew I was here?”

 

“I found out while you were in the dungeons. I wasn’t exactly gonna be able to see you, but I was planning a backup plan, to break you out.” She answers, causing me to laugh.

 

“Right, we can talk more later.” I state.

 

“Oh right! You’re on the job.” With that, she hugs me once more, before I pick up the tray in my hands, and scurry over to the bar, where I fill it with more flagons of ale, and rum, carding them out to the others, and before long- the day has passed enough to where I can close up the tavern, and escape up to my room. I barely manage to shed my vest, and breeches, before I am passing out in my bed, exhausted from the day that has transpired. The next morning, I wake early enough that I can dress in my vest and breeches, clip my daggers to my belt, and escape down to the training camps, where I stretch and run through my usual routine.

 

“Good morning!” Lydia chirps the left of me, causing me to look over, my daggers stilled in mid strike. Lydia’s in a blue, floor length dress with a brown belt, her hair weaved in an intricate way down the side of her head, which also has a flower crown resting on top of it, causing me to blink.

 

“Morning. You’re more chipper than usual.” I state, lowering my daggers, to sheath them on my belt as I stand up straight.

 

“Yes.” She smiles, her cheeks turning a bit red. “Taevel came to visit, early.” She rocks back and forth on her feet, looking up at me. “He gave me a pelt.”

 

“Good… for you?” I ask in confusion.

 

“Oh yes! I forget that you were not a Dalish.” She smiles brightly. “It’s a form of courtship.” She explains.

 

“Wow!” I blink rapidly, before looking away for a moment, before glancing back at her. “Well, that’s big. Congratulations.”

 

“Considering he is no Dalish, I suspect he asked around about our customs. That means that there are more people, who know about us.” She smile stretches as she presses her hands together, finger tips touching, and touches the side of her hands to her lips.

 

“I’m happy for you, uh… what’s up with the flower crown?” I ask, causing confusion to cover her face, she reaches up, pulling the crown from her head, tilting her head to look at it.

 

“I haven’t the slightest. I think I remember… a boy walked up to me? Placed them on my head?” She lets out a laugh. “I’m sorry, that sounds crazy.”

 

“Not as crazy as you’d think.” I mutter under my breath, looking around.

 

“I must go. I wish to share the news with Penelope.” Guilt strikes me at those words, and before I can stop her, she places the flowers on her head, and skips away. My eyes land on a figure by the templar’s tents, causing me to shake my head, walking over to him.

 

“Cole.” The young man jumps, having been bent over, to look at something the opposite way from me, and did not hear me approach. He stands, turning to me as he’s stringing together different colored flowers, looking down as his hat tips forward, causing me to quirk my lips to the side, pushing the hat back, making him look at me. “Cole?” His blue eyes flicker up to me, momentarily, before looking back at the flowers in his hands, knowing that I don’t like direct eye contact, but still allowing me to know he’s listening. “You can’t just make people forget, you know?”

 

“But, remembering doesn’t help. Known, know, knowing, it’s odd,  _ Who is he? Strange boy? What’s it doing? _ But, if I can make people forget, after helping, then I’ve still helped, without them become uncomfortable.” Cole explains.

 

“But, it’s also good for others to get help, and  _ know _ they’re getting it. Knowing that someone else cares, is sometimes all that matters.” I tell him, causing his hands to pause in their movements. “It also helps, to make  _ friends _ that way.”

 

“You’re different, but you understand.” Cole gets a far off look in his eyes.

 

“Oh? Explain that to me.” I tell him.

 

“You are  _ different _ . Bright, like the Herald, but also dimmer.  _ Soft, sweet, hands upon hands, helping hands, helping others, helping each other, but also helping yourselves. Things are loud, so I hide myself away, hoping the loud won’t hurt me. Hurt, happiness, helpfulness, hungriness. Darkness inside goes away at helping, but guilt always remains. _ ” Cole tilts his head, looking up at me. “You are easy to read, but you are also hard, it’s like sticking my head in a snowbank, everything is cold, muffled, lonely, but also, everything echoes back at me, loud and uncomfortable.” He smiles at me. “You like to help, because it helps you.  _ You understand. _ ”

 

“Okay. Yeah, let’s go with that.” I press his hat back down, covering his eyes with a laugh. “Just, try letting people know you’re there. Sometimes, that alone, helps.” With that, I walk off towards the orphan’s camp, vaguely aware of him following me.

 

“Elly! Elly!” One of the younger kids runs over, hugging me around the waist, as I pat her head, laughing.

 

“Hello to you too, little one.” I pick her up, tossing her in the air, and catch her, settling her into my side.

 

“You’re early.” Taevel says as soon as I walk over to him.

 

“Yeah, well that just mean that Lydia can spell me earlier, and Penelope can spell her earlier, and so on and so forth. I have a job now.” I explain, causing him to nod, before glancing behind me.

 

“Who’re those two?” He nods to behind, causing my brow to furrow.

 

“That’s Cole, and…” I turn to find my sister standing beside Cole, lifting kids into the air, making a whooshing sound, before setting them down, the kids all laughing. “my... uh… my sister.” I answer, causing Taevel to look at me oddly, before Libby turns to us.

 

“I came to help.” She states, smiling at me.

 

“You can take your sister’s extra turn, after Penelope. We usually have someone here as often as possible. To watch them, and make sure they don’t get in trouble.” Taevel explains, before wandering over, making a ‘you tell her’ gesture as he walks away, and I look at Libby and Cole, setting the girl in my arms on the ground.

 

“Why do I feel, you are both going to be trouble?” I groan.

 

“You  _ like _ trouble, remember? Libby retorts, causing me to roll my eyes, looking away.

 

“Right, let’s get started with your training. Cole, you’re to stick close until after. No wandering off.” I order, causing him to look up at me, smiling as he nods, sitting on the log by the kid’s fire, continuing to string odd flowers together, kids seeming to natural draw near him as I turn to Libby, seeing her smirk at me as I roll my eyes, and lead her away, explain her day to day duties in the camp here. This was going to be a  _ long _ day.


	11. Chapter 11

 

Finishing my rounds in the orphan’s camp, Lydia arrives early, shifting out as Libby has gone off to train, after learning her duties, leaving me to follow Cole as he distributes the multiple amounts of flower crowns that he had made, sadly he makes everyone forget after a he places the flowers on their heads, and once he’s out of the crowns, I approach him. “Where did you even get those flowers?” I ask, curiosity in my tone, but he just grins at me, before his head turns sharply towards the healer’s hut.

 

“Someone’s hurting.” With that, he is running towards the direction he had heard the pain from, following closely on his heels, he holds a hand out toward me, causing me to stop as his brow furrows, and I shove his arm away, rounding to see that the flowers and herbs of the garden have been pulled up, but not only that, they’ve been shredded apart, causing me to frown deeply.

 

“Why would anyone do this?” I ask, reaching down to lift one of the flowers from the ground, the last petal that had clung to it, is now fluttering to the ground as I swallow deeply, forcing back my angry tears.

 

“ _ Anger, simmering, boiling, reaching the blowing point. You work hard, trying to help, and everyone just throws your work away. Why? WHY?! _ ” Cole’s voice is behind me, he presses a gentle hand to my shoulder, and I look away from the ruins of my garden, reaching up to rub, irritably, at my eyes to get the tears to stop falling.

 

“Whatever.” I hiss, dropping the flower to the ground, and walk away.

 

“But-”

 

“Come on, Cole. Someone obviously doesn’t want the garden there.” I state, listening as he starts to shuffle behind me, the two of us starting towards the tavern.

 

“Look out!” Cole calls, causing me to turn in time for a swing to come at me from my left, causing me to duck, looking up to see one of the younger soldiers coming at me, this time I catch a light glistening off a blade in his hand, causing me to dodge his strike as I whip out my own dagger, parrying another blade from the right, and a quick look behind me, tells me that Cole is facing two more on his own.

 

“What’re you doing?!” I shout at the soldier, parrying them both with my own daggers, but neither of them answer, one coming at me with a strike, which I manage to stop with a sharp kick into his stomach, causing the person to hack, falling back on one knee, their head bowed as I turn to my other attacker, swinging my dagger at his neck, but he jumps back, dodging me. The other one, which I realize is dressed like a servant, gains their footing in time for the one dressed as a soldier to shove me stumbling back, and the servant grabs me by the arm from behind. The young one walks towards me, causing me to strike out with one of my legs, catching myself on his chestplate, being the servant bend back in order to attempt to keep hold of me, and I use the strength from the kick of the chestplate, to propel the two of us backwards, the servant’s head slamming into the ground. Sadly, his grip on me tightens as I go to pull away, bring me down with him, causing me to go flying down at an odd angle, smashing the side of my head into a stone, but I keep moving, turning my head toward the servant’s arm, and latch on with my teeth as sharp as I can, causing him to howl, releasing me.

 

“ **HEY!** ” A loud voice thunders, causing the fighting to freeze, and I look over to see the Iron Bull is grabbing the young one, the one dressed as a soldier, by his head, the young man is petrified as the two Cole had been fight, are subdued, one by Cole, the other is by Cassandra.

 

“What is the meaning of this?” Cassandra demands as I get a better look at the one in her arms, noting that one is dressed as a civilian, and the one that Cole is hold, is dressed like a mage.

 

“Don’t speak!” The one on the ground says, sitting up as I walk over to him, slamming my foot down on his chest, causing him to fall backwards, my foot practically crushing his ribs.

 

“You tried to kill me.” I hiss in his face, before snapping my head over to the other three. “ **_Why?!_ ** ” I demand.

 

“We were told to kill the oracle of the inquisition!” The one under Bull’s hand squeals.

 

“Oracle?” I ask in confusion, causing the one under my foot to growl, grabbing my ankle, as though his nails can penetrate the leather that I am wearing. “Why attack me, then?”

 

“ _ You  _ are the oracle.” Cassandra provides, causing my brow to furrow, looking at her in confusion. “We will discuss it, after dealing with these  _ assassins _ .”

 

“ _ Who? _ ” I demand, reaching down the one below my boot, his just spits in my eye, causing me to growl, wiping the spit from my eye, and I grab him by the throat, lifting him to his feet, and slam him into the nearest cabin, face first. “ **_Who told you?_ ** ” He attempts to wrestle from my grip, causing me to pull him back, slamming him against the wall once more. “You’re the leader, o tell me who told you!”

 

“You can go fuck yourself.” He growls.

 

“Then, you can just sit in the cells, until you change your mind.” I state, pressing him against the cabin wall with one arm, grabbing and twisting one of his arms behind his back, and start to lead to the chantry.

 

“Damn, little bird.” Bull says, following along with Cassandra and Cole with the other men.

 

“Indeed, that was surprising.” Cassandra agrees, causing me to shrug as the man stumbles down the stairs of the Chantry.

 

“I may not know how to sword fight, but I  _ can _ defend myself. If I couldn’t do that, from where I’m from, that’d be dumb.” I state, causing the man to look back at me, before I glare at him. “Keep moving, bozo.” I order, shoving him forward towards the prisoner cells, and he grunts as Cassandra hands Bull her own man, unlocking a cell so that I can shove the man in there, he catches himself on the wall, turning to try and rush the door, but I slam it in his face, waving as I turn to the others.

 

“What is a bozo?” Cassandra asks as we lock the other three up, causing me to shrug.

 

“It’s an insult, basically.” I answer, causing her to nod, before her gaze travels to the side of my face.

 

“Perhaps you should see Adan for that?” She gestures to my face, causing my to lift my hand up, pulling it away as rocks and blood cover it, causing me to sigh, shaking my head.

 

“It’s nothing. I can clean it up.” We start towards the door, when the leader starts to chuckle, and I look back at him.

 

“I have to wonder, do you think you can honestly stop him? Even with your visions?” He taunts, causing me to walk over to him, he grips the bars of his door. “Blessed by the Maker, my ass. You can’t even fight.”

 

“Who told you that I have visions? Because that, in itself, is moronic.” I state, throwing him for a loop.

 

“So, you can’t see what’s going to happen to the Inquisition?” The young man in the other cell asks.

 

“No.” I answer, looking over at him. “I know what will happen.”

 

“You are going to lose, even if you think that.” The leader sneers.

 

“What’s going on here?” I turn to see Aaliyah standing in the doorway, before I walk over to her, the others leaving the room with us.

 

“Why am I suddenly the Oracle of the Inquisition?” I ask, causing Aaliyah to look at me in surprise.

 

“So, you’ve heard?” She inquires.

 

“I just had four assassins make an attempt on my life.” I answer. “Things seem to spread.”

 

“I see. Well, since people have heard that you’re from another realm, and that you helped at Therinfal Redoubt, without even being there, there has been a rumor going on.” Aaliyah looks down for a moment, at this point, we’re upstairs from the prison cells, the others have disbanded, except for Cole, who is at my side.

 

“You haven’t tried dispelling these rumors?” I ask.

 

“Actually, we’ve found it better to encourage them.” Cullen answers, appearing with Leliana and Josephine, from Josephine’s office. “It has improved to morel of the servants, and the troops, being that the Maker and his Bride, have both blessed our mission.”

 

“So, what? Now, I’m a holy figure as well, now?” I ask, causing them all to look sheepish. “You know that I only know what happens, until I certain point!”

 

“ _ But _ , all you have to do, is help as much as you can. Tell us when you don’t know something, and we’ll figure it all out together.” Aaliyah explains.

 

“Maker’s breath.” I hiss under my breath, then look up at them. “How am I to be any help? I can’t read. I can’t fight. My knowledge is limited. The only things that I am good for, are entertaining the orphans, gardening, cooking, attending to the horses, and mixing drinks in a tavern.”

 

“It’s not only the big things, that help.  _ Sometimes, just being there is enough _ .” Cole says from beside me, causing me to stiffen, sighing as I press my hand to my forehead, then shake my head as I look at them.

 

“Okay. Encourage the rumors, but we  _ still _ don’t know who sent the assassins to kill me.” I point out, causing them to exchange looks, and Leliana nods.

 

“I have someone I can call on, he has no attachment to the Inquisition, and therefore will not have to worry about Chantry means.” She says, causing my eyes to widen, and my stomach to jolt.

 

“Leliana, you don’t mean-”

 

“You know him?” Leliana asks, causing me to swallow, and step away.

 

“I need to speak to you.” I state, causing her to nod, gesturing me into the war room, the others walking away as the door closes, Cole beside me with that faint gleam of light around him. “Cole,” I turn to him, while Leliana glances at the place where he stands, suddenly the room fills with a puff of smoke, and the gleam from Cole disappears. “you can stay, but this is to remain quiet.” He nods, and I cross to the table in the middle of the room, jumping up on it as I cross my legs.

 

“You said we needed to speak?” Leliana asks.

 

“It’s about the Warden.” I state.

 

“What about her?” Leliana asks.

 

“What was her name?” I ask, biting my bottom lip in worry.

 

“Myra Cousland.” She answers, tilting her head at me. “I believe that you knew this. She is the queen after all.” I suck in a breath, and think for a moment.

 

“There is this thing, about these fictitious tales.” I look at her. “It’s more like, you put  _ yourself _ in the tales. You are the leader. I was the Warden. I was Hawke. I was the Herald.” I explain, causing her brow to furrow.

 

“You are the Herald of Andraste in your world?” She asks, causing me to sigh, shaking my head.

 

“No, it’s… Look, it’s hard to explain. It’s just a tale, that many people interact with. Not just the Herald’s, but the Warden’s, and Hawke’s. It depends on which story you want to go with, for the Warden, there are three elves, and two humans, and two dwarves.” I hold up either fingers. “Cousland, or Amell, mage.” I drop three fingers. “Surana, mage, Mahariel and Tabris, Dalish and City.” I drop three more fingers. “Aeducan or Brosca, royalty and dwarven commoner.” I drop the last two fingers.

 

“I think I follow. Depending on the character your tale starts with, it changes the story, so you honestly have no idea if you tales are correct or not.” Leliana answers.

 

“Exactly.” I nod firmly. “That’s why I need to ask some questions, sometimes.” She nods.

 

“Understood, you can ask me anything.” She answers, causing me to smile.

 

“Thanks.” She nods as I hop up, and Cole follows as we all leave the room.

 

“Where are you going now?” She asks.

 

“The Tavern, I work there now.” She nods.

 

“Zevran should be here in the next day or so. He’s been doing work for me, nearby.” She pauses. “Would you like to meet him?”

 

“You should know the answer to that.” I tease, causing her nod, smiling at me, before I turn to Cole. “You are coming with me to the tavern, I don’t trust that I won’t be ambushed again, and I need you with me.” He nods, smiling as he follows me out.

 

“Shouldn’t we go see Adan at least?” He asks.

 

“Fine.” I sigh, directing him towards the healer’s hut, where I wander inside, pausing when I find Libby sitting beside a cot, patching up wounded, but she looks up at the sound of our entrance, her brow furrowing.

 

“What happened?” She demands, tying off the bandage that she’s working on.

 

“Nothing.” I wave off her concern.

 

“Someone tried to assassinate her.” Cole adds, causing Libby to gape at me, and I turn my glare on the spirit-turned-man.

 

“Really?!” I demand, he tilts his head at me, before I look back at my sister. “I’m fine. I just need you to clean it.”

 

“Alright, sit down.” She gestures to a clean cot, and I nod, crossing the floor to sit down, and she starts to clean the rocks from the cut, from wiping up the blood on my head, and then she places a bandage across it. “There. Working?” She asks, standing as I do, Cole hovers in the background.

 

“Yeah, but people keep telling me to get the cut looked at, so I decided to go before.” She nods. “Joining the Chargers for drinks tonight?” I ask.

 

“Later. I’m helping Adan here.” She answers, causing me to shrug.

 

“I’ll save you a bloody mary.” I offer, causing her eyes to widen.

 

“They have the stuff for that?!” She asks.

 

“All that’s missing is the stalk of celery and the bacon.” I answer, causing her nose to wrinkle. “Well, they have bacon, but that’s hard to get.”

 

“Don’t like either of those, you know that.” She waves it off. “Make it soon, I'll hurry up here.” With that, she gestures us out the door, and Cole and I start towards the tavern. Entering, I am surprised to find Cassandra, Varric, Aaliyah, and Solas at a table, Bull and the Chargers at another, Cullen and Josephine sitting with them, Sera is sitting on the table by the door again, and a few soldiers dot the room.

 

“Hey, little bird! Got that battle wound checked out, I see.” Bull calls, causing me to shrug, watching as Cole starts to gleams, and I shake my head as he walks over to one of the soldiers while I duck around the bar, pulling out a couple glasses, and a tray.

 

“Ready for Whoop Your Ass B, Bull?” I taunt as I place his drink on the tray with a couple flagons of rum, and some ale, lifting the tray as I skirt around the counter, placing the drinks before their respective drinkers, and walk back over to the counter as Bull sniffs the drink in his hand, wincing as I fill the tray once more, carding out flagons to the rest of the patrons, before handing one to Aaliyah, who opens her mouth to say something, when Bull’s hacking cough draws my attention, causing me to smirk as I look over. Bull is gripping the flagon in one hand, holding his throat with the other, his eyes wide as his shoulders rack with a cough.

 

“You are  _ evil _ !” He bellows, pointing at me, causing me to smirk as the Chargers and advisors all laugh, and I turn to Aaliyah.

 

“What is this?” She asks, setting the drink on the table, after taking a sip.

 

“It’s a… the name’s kind of dirty.” I answer, she raises an eyebrow at me, and I shrug. “You asked for it. It’s called a Sex in the Roadway.” I answer, causing Bull to burst into laughter behind me, while Aaliyah’s face turns pink, Solas actually looks mirthful, Cassandra practically snorts out her drink, and Varric roars with laughter, smacking the table while the Chargers all laugh.

 

“W-Why would you- WHY WOULD YOU MAKE ME THAT?!” She screams, causing me to lift my hand, laughing.

 

“Because, it’s got a very small amount of alcoholic taste, but can still get you drunk.” I answer, causing her swallow, looking down at the blue drink, and lifts it to her lips again, while I pat her shoulder as I waltz away. Standing behind the bar, I mix the required amount of ingredients for Libby’s special Bloody Mary, and set it on the bar just as she enters.

 

“You’re a saint.” She says, sweeping the drink up in her hand, and crossing to her usual chair, while I mix myself a El Jefe, dropping into a seat at the end of Aaliyah’s table, causing them to look at me.

 

“So, Pip, what’s the battle wound?” Varric asks.

 

“Four guys attempted to assassinate me today.” At that, he spews his drink across the table, luckily missing Cassandra, unluckily, hitting Skinner, who glares at him.

 

“Someone’s trying to kill you?!” He demands.

 

“Chill out, Leliana’s got people on it.” I explain, holding up my hands in a surrendered motion.

 

“Not that Little Bird there, didn’t kick their asses.” Bull says.

 

“I barely scratch them.” I state.

 

“You stomped on a guy’s chest.” He points out, causing me to shrug.

 

“I did manage to wound myself.” I point out, causing a rumble to come from his chest.

 

“You didn’t think you would.” Bull adds.

 

“So, why are they trying to kill you?” Solas inquires, drawing my attention to the end of the table.

 

“Ah… They believe that I am “The Oracle of the Inquisition, blessed by the Maker himself.” That answer your question?” I raise an eyebrow.

 

“Hardly. Who sent them?” He responds.

 

“Dunno.” I respond.

 

“Are there anymore?” His eyes are watching me, intently.

 

“Dunno.” I shrug.

 

“Are you safe, just sitting here drinking?” His voice is getting a little tighter, anger showing itself.

 

“Duh.” I gesture to all of the people, all armed, in the tavern.

 

“Do you even  _ care _ ?” He demands, the others watching us batting back and forth, as if at a tennis match.

 

“Yes. I also know that I am most protected right now, because my sister, the herald, two of the three advisors, every charger, and soldier in this room, are  _ armed _ , as well as the fact that I am.” I lean forward, glaring at him. “I’m not dumb.”

 

“I never stated that.” Solas says, leaning forward to fold his fingers. “I just question whether you know if they are truly after you.”

 

“Yes, I do know that. I also know that, right now, I want to punch you in the face.” I spit.

 

“I beg your pardon?” His eyes widen as I smirk, sitting back with my hands up.

 

“Never said I would. But, I might if you don’t stop eying me as an experiment, and Aaliyah like the answer to all of your problems.” I bite towards him.

 

“You seem well informed.” He states.

 

“I only know what I know, but I also know that look.” His eyes flicker to Aaliyah, and I point. “That one, right there!” His brow furrows, and I take a deep drink, while Libby laughs.

 

“This is funny to you?” Solas directs at her.

 

“It is, if you know my sister.” Libby smirks at me.

 

“Don’t you dare!” I crow, standing as I move towards her.

 

“You sure do treat your egg-headed boyfriend rudely.” She states, causing heat to break across my face. “Or, was it your eggy soulmate?”

 

“Sh-Shut up!” I cover my face as everyone starts to laugh. “That was  _ years _ ago, when I last-” I chew on my bottom lip, dropping into the chair again, Solas tilts his head at me.

 

“She was absolutely obsessed with you, Solas. Loved your knowledge.” Libby explains, causing me to groan, sinking further into my seat.

 

“Oh, looks like the egg’s got a fan!” Krem calls, causing me to sit up, pointing at Libby, who freezes under my evil grin.

 

“Y-You wouldn’t.” She states.

 

“Oh wouldn’t I? Should I talk about all of the friend fiction?” I taunt.

 

“Friend fiction?” Bull looks at Libby, who glares at me.

 

“You are a bitch.” She says.

 

“It’s called payback.” I cackle. “Libby writes friend fiction, with herself in it.”

 

“Oh, this I gotta hear about.” Varric laughs.

 

“Bull.” He looks up at me. “Krem.” He looks up as well. “Libby’s friend fiction, is about a threesome with you two. Very descriptive,  _ very _ dirty.”

 

“ _ Ooh _ . Got any written here?” Bull asks, eyes sparkling as Libby covers her face, which I know if flushed completely.

 

“ _ Elf fetish! _ ” She hisses at me, causing me to stand up, hands on my hips.

 

“And damn  **proud** of it.” I answer.

 

“As much as this bickering back and forth is entertaining, can we rewind to the Eggy soulmate thing?” Varric asks.

 

“No, we can’t.” I direct as I look at my sister, who narrows her eyes at my smirk. “Should we talk about the dwarf fetish you have?”

 

“Oh-ho!” Varric pauses. “Wait, what?”

 

“Oh, Commander.” Libby calls, Cullen raises his head. “Why don’t you ask Eliana, about her poems about your eyes.” He looks at me, while I blush.

 

“Why don’t we stop before you two get into a real fight? I’d hate, and love, to watch that.” Iron Bull says.

 

“Don’t be too thrilled about the friend fiction, Bull. It’s mostly about Krem.” I state, causing the person in question to look up, eyes widening while Bull’s face falls.

 

“Oh yes, like your friend fiction is any better?” Libby teases. “Zevran.” She stretch out one finger. “Fenris.” She adds another finger. “Solas.” Another finger added. “Ab-” I cross the room, smacking my hand over her mouth, eyes wide in warning, and she swallows thickly in realization. “S-Sorry.”

 

“It’s fine. That’s enough.” I hiss, and she nods, the two of us part, turning to the others, I lift my tray off the bar. “Anyone need refills?”

 

“ _ Cole _ .” Libby whispers, causing me to jump, rounding to glare as she smirks, my face turning bright red. “We’re good here. Why don’t go get some air?” She taunts.

 

“R-Right.” I place my tray down, scurrying out the front door, closing it as laughter fills the tavern, and I grab a handful of snow, pressing it to my face. I pull it away, taking a deep breath as I fan myself, attempting to chasing my blush away.

 

“Is everything alright?” I jump, looking up to find Solas peeking his head out of the tavern, his face is a bit sympathetic.

 

“F-Fine… Too hot, I forget how heated teasing Libby can get.” I answer, he nods, stepping out to round to my side, leaning on the tavern beside me.

 

“You apparently have a penchant for fictitious characters, your sister and yourself.” He says, causing me to groan, tilting my head back against the tavern’s wall.

 

“Yes, I suppose you could put it like that.” I answer, causing him to chuckle.

 

“I see. I was testing to see if that was true.” He glances at me. “Then, why do you dislike me so?”

 

“You broke me.” I state.

 

“I… broke… you?” He asks.

 

“It’s hard to explain.” I bring a hand up, rubbing the iciness to the back of my neck. “I just… I stopped studying the tale, after something happened between you and the Herald.” I explain.

 

“Ah.” He nods.

 

“It pissed me off.” I look at him. “Why are you so against opening up to anyone?” I ask, causing him to freeze.

 

“What do you know, that you should not?” He demands.

 

“Nothing, honest to god, or the Maker, whatever. Just that, if you hurt her, I will kill you.” I answer, looking over at him with a smirk, he chuckles before nodding.

 

“Perhaps, I should treat her as a student?” He offers.

 

“Not gonna happen. That’s how you get to where you end up.” I shrug, shaking my head. “It’s too late.” He frowns.

 

“What do you mean?” He raises an eyebrow at me.

 

“Tell me, does this sound familiar? “In truth, I have enjoyed experiencing more of life to find more of the fade.”” I mock his voice as best as I can. ““How so?”” I mock Aaliyah’s tone. ““You strengthen your body to deliver and withstand punishment. The muscles are an enjoyable side benefit. You have chosen a path, whose steps you do not dislike, because it leads to a destination you enjoy. As have I.”” Back to his tone again. ““You find the muscle enjoyable?”” Back to Aaliyah’s tone, just as Solas’s eyes widen in understanding. ““I meant, you enjoyed having them, presumably.”” Back his Solas. ““Ah.”” Aaliyah. ““But… yes, since you asked.”” I raise an eyebrow at him.

 

“You- You were not even away for that!” He cries in surprise.

 

“It is a given. She’s attracted to you, and you are attracted to her.” I smirk at him. “Aren’t you?”

 

“I-” He bows his head. “Y-Yes. I fear that I am.”

 

“That’s what I mean.” I press off the wall, gesturing towards the tavern door, and he nods, entering before I do, as I enter, he sits beside Aaliyah, who smiles up at him, and his eyes are sad as he gives a pathetic grin back. Libby shoots me a confused look, I simply shrug, filling my tray once more, with drinks for the others, going around to hand them out, while Varric starts a card game, and Cole sits on the Charger’s table, he’s gleaming which tells me that nobody sees him again. The rest of the day in the tavern is filled with banter, and cheerfulness, before long I am closing the tavern up for the night, before heading up to bed, Cole lurking in the upstairs area, as usual at night, though he does mention something about protecting from more assassins. I barely manage to shed my vest and leggings, before falling into the bad, passing out exhausted from the day’s activities.

 

Then next day, I am up earlier than I have been since I first arrive in Thedas, making my way downstairs after dressing in a long sleeve, white tunic, my usual vest and black leggings, plaiting my hair down my back, and slipping on my black leather boots, I wave to Flissa as I slip my dagger belts on, and make my way down to the training yard, where I start to strike out at one of the dummies there. It’s an hour before Cullen is out with the first of the recruits, the commander gives me a vague wave, which I return, wiping my brow free of sweat, and sheath my blades, before I wander over to the stables, where I feed and water the various mounts, before grooming them, then I set up four with their tack for Aaliyah’s final trip, to the Storm Coast, before they close the breach, hoping to power up her mark a bit before hand. Once I’ve finished in the stables, I head into the chantry for a quick meal of porridge and dry meats, before I go over to the orphan’s camp, taking first shift as they’re just waking up, Penelope relieves me at the 11th bell, leaving me time to go down to the dungeons before my shift at the tavern starts.

 

“So, boys, are they treating you well?” I ask, leaning against the doorway, my legs crossed, as are my arms, across my chest.

 

“We get feed three times a day, and water four times.” The youngest answers, smiling a bit, despite the black eye he is now sporting.

 

“Don’t talk to her, Kevin!” The one dressed as a mage answers, I press off the doorway, walking further in.

 

“Your name is Kevin?” I ask, and he nods. “Be honest, Kevin. Why are you with these goons? You don’t seem to be much older than 18.”

 

“Because the inquisition killed the rebel mages in the hinterlands. My mother was among them.” He answers, his face falling.

 

“Your mother was helping ambush innocent people, Kevin. We were protecting the right people.” He frowns at that, looking down in thought. “You didn’t want to kill me, did you? Especially because I didn’t kill your mother.”

 

“No.” He shakes his head. “But he told me to. He said you’d destroy the perfect world he’s building.”

 

“Kevin.” I grasp the bars of his cell, looking in. “You’re a nice kid, don’t waste you life like this.” His brow furrows. “Tell me who’s trying to kill me, and I can get you released, get you a good place protecting others.”

 

“ _ Slag! _ ” I jump, looking over as the leader reaches through the bars, attempting to grab me. “You spout lies!  _ You’re nothing but the inquisitions slag of an oracle! _ ” He hisses, and Kevin’s face hardens, he grabs my wrists, shoving them off the bars, causing me to stumble back with a sigh.

 

“Alright. I’ll find out eventually, you know?” I state, starting towards the door. “Just think Kevin, you could repent for your mother. I’m sure she never  _ wanted _ to kill innocents, but was manipulated into it. Are you going to be manipulated too? Is this what your mother would’ve wanted?” With that, I walk out of the dungeons, heading up the stairs to the main level of the Chantry, and walk towards the door.

 

“You handled that well,  _ Pájaro pequeño _ .” I whirl around at the all too familiar voice, my eyes landing on a figure in the shadows, he’s dressed in a cloak with the hood drawn over a giant bird’s beak, and high kneed armored boots that match his gauntlets. My eyes narrow as he chuckles, stepping out of the shadows, removing his hood. “You do not need that.” He directs his focus to my hand, where I find myself surprised to have one of my daggers drawn, but I quickly tuck it away.

 

“How long have you been tailing me?” I ask.

 

“Since you walked out of your bedroom in the tavern.” He chuckles. “You remind me of our warden, tell me, have you two met?” He asks, causing me to frown.

 

“Can’t say we have. How do I remind you for her?” I inquire as I cross my arms over my chest. “You never tried to attack me with a failed ambush.” His eyes widen at that.

 

“No, I have not. Did Leliana happen to tell you that?” His tone is full of curiosity.

 

“No. Also, you’re not allowed to call my Little Bird.” He tilts his head, smirk crawling across his face.

 

“Oh, and why not?” My eyes flicker to Leliana walking out of the war room, behind Zevran, before I look back at him.

 

“Because that it my nickname from The Iron Bull.” I answer. “He’s very touchy about his nickname.”

 

“I see,  _ Pájaro pequeño. _ Perhaps I should speak to this Iron Bull, and convince him to share.” He smirks widens.

 

“Leliana.” I greet, causing the ex-crow to jump, whirling around to find the redhead smirking at him.

 

“Ah, lovely Leliana, it’s been too long since we’ve spoken face to face.” Zevran greets.

 

“You kept him on his toes, since I sent the first letter about you.” Leliana directs to me, causing me to smirk, a tiny amount of heat tinges my cheeks.

 

“Glad I could do that with  _ someone _ .” I let out a huff.

 

“Any luck with the assassins?” She asks.

 

“Ah!  _ Pájaro pequeño  _ has planted a seedling of doubt into the youngest’s mind.” Zevran answers.

 

“I simply spoke to him, there was no planting, just fertilizing what was already there.” I answer, causing Leliana to nod.

 

“Good work. It is a good thing that you cannot read or write, otherwise I’d have you out on the field as one of my spies.” She smirks at me.

 

“Like you need more.” I answer, Zevran looks between Leliana and myself, before smiling.

 

“Zevran will be tailing you for quite a while, until we can decide whether the threat has passed, or not.” Leliana explains, causing me to shrug.

 

“As long as he can keep up.” I answer, causing the ex-crow to look at me with feign shock, as if I had suggested something unspeakable. “Let’s go, bird brain, I’ve got work to do.”

 

“Work work work!” He says with a laugh, causing me to stiff, heat rising up my neck, causing him to tilt his head at me, while Leliana smirks at me, walking away as I let out a strangled squeak similar to the words “Let’s” and “go” before turning, and stiffly marching out. Just as we reach the door to the tavern, I notice that we’ve gotten a third member to our little party, Cole is just following quietly, like an obedient, gleaming, puppy.

 

“Cole.” I sigh as I stop, there’s a puff of smoke, and Zevran let’s out surprised noise as I turn to the young man. “Have you finished what you wanted?” I ask, causing him to smile, nodding.

 

“I  _ helped _ .” He answers, causing me to let out a laugh, walking up to him, and resituate his hat so that the bill sits further back on his head, and brush his hair out of his eyes.

 

“There, that’s better isn’t it?” I ask, causing him to nod, smiling a gapped tooth smile. “You’re coming into the tavern?”

 

“Yes. You’re brighter when you smile, louder when you work there.  _ Happy, surrounded by laughter, and warmth. Things I’ve missed since daddy died. Better, when I sang in choir, but worse when Libby died. But, Libby isn’t dead, she’s here, happy, quipping, bright, and energetic as she once was. _ ” He breathes.

 

“What are you?” Zevran asks.

 

“I’m Cole.” Cole answers, looking at him. “Why are you wearing a bird?” The boy tilts his head, causing me to burst into laughter, holding my sides, and doubling over, a smile stretched across my lips.

 

“Oh my lord!” I gasp once I’ve managed to gasp for air, before I I double over in laughter again.

 

“Cole, did you break Little Bird?” A booming voice says.

 

“I just asked why he’s wearing a bird.” Cole answers, while Zevran remains watching me, and I manage to calm down for a second, standing up straight. “The bird wants to fly away, but can’t. He’s stuck to the man’s skin.” I burst into laughter again, my knees giving out as I smack the ground, this time Bull joins in the laughter, and by the time we’ve finished, we’ve gathered a small gathering, consisting of Varric, Libby, Rocky, and Krem.

 

“You okay there, sis?” Libby asks, and I nod as I gasp for air, wiping my eyes free of tears, and climb to my feet, brushing my knees free of snow.

 

“Cole made a joke.” I finally answer.

 

“I did?” He asks Varric.

 

“Anyway, I think Flissa’s gonna be mad if I’m anymore late.” I gesture for them all to follow, ducking into the tavern to start on my job, Zevran watching me all the while, making me a bit self conscious as I pour Libby, Sera, and Varric their drinks, setting them before them on the bar, and fill up some tankards for the Chargers. “Bull!” He looks up. “Whoop Your Ass C?” I ask, causing his eyes to widen.

 

“No!” He bellows, causing me to throw my head back, laughing.

 

“Okay! Okay!” I fill a tankard with some regular rum, and place it on my tray, before I round the bar, passing each one out, before returning for more ale as the regular soldiers come in.

 

“So, the Herald left for the Storm Coast today?” Libby asks, causing me to nod. “Who’d she take?”

 

“Blackwall, Cassandra, and Solas.” I answer, causing her to nod.

 

“Would’ve been better to take a rogue.” She points out. “You could use some one field experience too.”

 

“I’ve had my fill.” I answer.

 

“Yeah, Little Bird decided to lose her meal, remember?” Bull booms, causing my face to flush with heat.

 

“It was my first kill!” I hiss, causing him to chuckle, and I round the bar to hand out the rest of the tankards, slapping Bull on the arm with the tray in my hands as I pass him, sliding behind the bar again as Bull rubs the spot on his arm, glaring at me playfully.

 

“How long, until she closes the Breach?” Libby asks.

 

“She has another place after the Storm Coast, then, made a week. Depends on how fast they arm.” I answer, causing her to nod, sighing.

 

“What do you want me to do, when it comes?” She asks.

 

“Stick to Dorian and Roderick.” I answer, she presses her lips tightly together. “Have a health poultice for the Chancellor, at the very least.” She sighs, nodding as I mix a drink together, pouring it into a tankard, and walk over to where Zevran is leaning against the wall, watching me from across the room in the shadows. He has his arms crossed, head down, one foot planted firmly against the wall, and looks up at me in surprise after I shove the drink under his beak.

 

“What is this,  _ Pájaro pequeño _ ?” He asks, causing me to roll my eyes.

 

“It’s booze.” I answer, waving the flagon at him, which he takes, sipping it before his eyes widen, and he smiles at me.

 

“That’s good. Thank you,  _ Pájaro pequeño _ , it is very good.” He says, causing me to nod once, firmly.

 

“Exactly.” I answers.

 

“Hey!” I jump at Bull’s booming voice. “Stop stealing my nickname for Little Bird!” He points at Zevran, causing the Antivan to chuckle, and cross over to Bull.

 

“The Iron Bull, I presume.” He sits next to him. “I wish to speak to you about  _ Pájaro pequeño _ ’s nickname.” I rolls my eyes at them both.

 

“You’re both using the wrong nickname!” Varric booms. “It’s Pip!”

 

“Murder me.” I mutter under my breath, walking towards the bar, where I mix myself a drink, watching as Varric, Zevran, and Bull all sit together, bickering over nicknames while the Chargers start a game of Wicked Grace, and Sera and Libby join the shortly, while I smile to myself, leaning on the wall behind me as I watch them. Cole is sitting on the Soldier’s table, gleaming as he listens for anyone needing help, and I cross my arms, feeling more content than I have for a while.  _ This feels great. _


	12. Chapter 12

 

“Early to rise, late to sleep, it would seem,  _ Pájaro pequeño. _ ” Zevran says as a greeting as I exit my bedroom, once again before the sun has even crest the horizon, he nearly startles me as I tie off my braid, looking over as he follows me down the steps.

 

“It seems, my body has put itself on a schedule. I do not mind, I enjoy it.” I answer, straightening my knife-belt around my waist, and look over at him. “You don’t truly intend to follow me around the entire day, do you?” I ask, causing him to simply smirk, crossing his arms over his chest, causing me to roll my eyes as I bound down the stairs of the tavern. The tavern door swings open, just before I reach it, Iron Bull, Cole, and Libby walk through, all bickering about something or other, causing me to stop at the foot of the stairs.

 

“ _ Look _ , she doesn’t want to hurt anyone, so it’s logical that I teacher her my way!” Libby says.

 

“You’re asking to send her unarmed, into battle!” Bull growls.

 

“I’m her  _ sister _ , I know what’s best!” Libby points out, causing me to realize that the argument is about me, I glance behind me towards Zevran, who has step back, attempting to blend in with the shadows, but I can still see his outline.  _ Must be an elf thing _ . I think to myself, looking back at the others.

 

“ _ Wants to help, silent, but there, keeping, keep, kept. It hurts to hurt, but can’t stay defenseless _ .” Cole speaks up.

 

“ **See!** ” Libby gestures to Cole. “The demon knows best.”

 

“ _ Libby! _ ” I hiss, drawing her attention, as well as Bulls. “You know, better than anyone, how I feel about Cole being called a demon! He’s a spirit of compassion.”

 

“Sorry.” Libby has the decency to look at her feet, looking scolded.

 

“Now, what’s this all about?” I demand, causing Bull to look at me, opening his mouth to speak, then closes it as I cross my arms over my chest, cocking my hip a bit. “Well?”

 

“I- urg…” Bull shakes his head. “Your sister wants you to train with her.” He answers, causing me to glance at Libby, who shrugs, then nods.

 

“Why?” I ask. “We have the same level of training, from what you’re talking about.”

 

“What, you know this fighting style, Little Bird?” Bull asks, causing me to shrug.

 

“I’m talking about of Martial Arts training. It’s more like a refresher course, because  _ I _ have been keeping up with it. Have  _ you _ ?” Libby asks, raising an eyebrow at me, causing me to sigh, shaking my head.

 

“I stopped once you died.” I answer.

 

“Well, I’m not dead now. Am I?” She asks, causing me to quirk a smile, and she tosses me something, causing me to snatch the thing out of the air, finding a pair of black, fingerless, gloves. “Come on, we’ve got a lot of work to do.” She states, causing me to frown, following her out the door, down to the training grounds, Cole follows idly, as does Zevran, Bull just grumbles as he sits at a table, something about needing a drink already.

 

“Why is The Iron Bull, so unhappy?” Cole asks, causing Libby to look pointedly at me.

 

“Ask Little Bird. Or should I say, Bull’s little sister.” She states, causing my brow to furrow, and I look at her.

 

“What’re you talking about?” I ask, confusion clear in my tone.

 

“Oh, just that Bull clucks after you, like a concerned mother hen. He’s taken the role of your protective big brother.” Libby answers, causing me to sigh, shaking my head as I look down, slipping the glove on, over my fingers. “Don’t worry, he does that with the Chargers too. Did that with me, the first year I joined, until I kneed him in the groin.”

 

“That’s…” I let out a laugh. “That’s funny. I’m surprised that he did try to kick your ass for that!”

 

“He did.” Libby says in a flat tone, causing me to snort behind my hand, and she crosses the space to make a gap, raising her fists, and crouches down a bit. “Show me what you remember.” With that, I fly at her, the two of us duck, weaving, matching strike, block, strike, block, kick, turn, dodge, strike, a rhythm that we remember well. After two hours, the sun is further in the sky, Libby and I take a break, sweat dripping from either of our faces, both of us sitting in the snow without a care, well, more like lying in the snow.

 

“Remember… when dad… had us take… these self defence classes?” I ask, panting for breath.

 

“Yeah. When we… moved into… the bad part… of town.” Libby answers, panting just as hard for me.

 

“I kicked… your ass… then.” I groan as I roll onto my side, looking over at her, sucking in a deep breath. “This isn’t… payback is it?” I taunt, causing her to look at me, smirking, her hair fanning the across the fresh snow, nearly blending as it had fallen from it’s bun.

 

“Maybe… a bit.” She groans out, sitting up as I let out a laugh, and sit up as well, my arms slung over my knees.

 

“Gonna be feelin’ this, for a while.” I state, rubbing my shoulder with a grimace.

 

“No doubt.” Libby answers, causing me to snort out a laugh, then look over at her.

 

“I just realized this, do you go by Libby here?” I ask in confusion.

 

“No.” She shakes her head. “I’m not as creative as you.”

 

“Actual, I didn’t chose my name. Aaliyah did.” She quirks a smile at that, nudging my arm.

 

“Anyway,” She looks up at the sky. “Ashalle. I go by Ashalle.”

 

“She of the Halla. She who is beloved by the Halla.” Nodding my head at her, I smirk. “It suits you.” I taunt, touching her hair, examining how much it’s color matches a Halla’s.

 

“Shut up!” She quirks a smirk at me, nudging me again, causing me laugh. “It’s not like yours is  _ any _ better. You are a ginger.”

 

“Hey, don’t forget who else is a ginger.” I snip, causing her to pale.

 

“Leliana.” She groans, then smirks as she stands, holding out a hand to me, which I take, and she hefts me to my feet.

 

“I’m still calling you Libby. It’s too strange for me not to.” I state abruptly, causing her to let out a bark of a laugh, before becoming serious.

 

“We’re finished today, you have to go do your rounds at the orphan’s camp. I have to go do mine at the healer’s hut.”

 

“Technically, he’s an apothecary. Though, wasn’t he an alchemist?” I shake my head.

 

“Whatever. Potato, fuck you.” She shrugs, causing me to laugh, the two of us wandering off on our separate ways, Cole simply walks off in his daze like state, as he usually does whenever someone needs help, and I enter the orphan’s camp in time to take over for Penelope, who simply nods, leaving to go do her training with the other troops.

 

“So, you do this  _ every _ day?” Zevran asks, joining me a few minutes later as I start to dish out food for the late risers, who happily take it.

 

“Yes.” I answer, one little girl looks at her porridge in her bowl.

 

“Why?” He wonders allowed, just as the girl looks up at me, and smiles, brightly.

 

“Can you take some out?” She asks. “I want to make sure the others eat.” I smile, kneeling down as I set the ladle in the pot, and stroke her hair.

 

“I will always get more food, if we need it, sweetie.” I tell her, causing her to look down at her bowl again, then smile with a nod, skipping off as I stand, gesturing to the girl as she sits beside a little boy, in the far corner of the camp.

 

“That’s one reason why.” I answer, causing him to hum, nodding as I continue to dish out food, until everyone is happily eating.

 

“Do you eat with them?” He asks.

 

“I wait until the midday break, to eat. I’m never hungry in the mornings.” I explain, causing him to look at me oddly, his head tilted as he follows me to a couple logs, by the camp’s entrance, and we sit on them, the two of us across from each other. “Where I am from, we did exactly have a lot of money, my dad was the one who raised my sister and I.” I look down, grabbing a random stick, drawing little shapes in the snow. “My dad had two jobs, to support us, and I made the food.” I look up to see if he’s still following along. He is. “Sometimes, we only had enough food, for two of us to eat, so I’d opt out. My dad need the strength, and my sister, well  _ she’s my sister _ , I wasn’t going to just let her starve.”

 

“So, you grew accustom to not eating. May I ask, where you mother was, in all this?” He tilts his head at me.

 

“Ah.” I stiffen at that. “She was probably sleeping with anything at moved, to get a fix, at the time.” I answer, he frowns.

 

“A fix?” He asks.

 

“You have dangerous stuff here, right?” I look up at him. “Something people ingest, get addicted to?” He nods. “That’s what it was, for her. She was addicting to something that nearly killed her, multiple times.” His frown deepens at that, and I shrug. “She wasn’t in my sister, or I’s life, until after my dad died.” My throat constricts at that thought, and I look down at the little stick figures that I drew, scratching them out.

 

“So, your mother was the reckless sort. Your father, the responsible.” Zevran hums. “How, may I ask, did your father die?”

 

“Ah.” I swallow thickly. “My sister and I climbed this tree, over a ravine, a lot of the time. Well, it had rained the night before, making the ground muddy, and as we were climbing it, the earth shifted, and I fell onto a branch, right above the water. My sister attempted to help, but she was smaller than I was, and I was slipping, so I told her to get our dad, and she did.” I shrug. “He died, pulling me from the water.”

 

“I see. My apologies, I did not think about how this would affect you,  _ Pájaro pequeño. _ ” He lays a gentle hand on my shoulder, and I look up at him, my lips quirking into a sad smile, and I shrug.

 

“It was years ago.” I answer, causing his eyes to harden, and he pulls away as I stand. “Right, time to collect the dishes!” I walk further into the orphan’s camp, where the kids start to line up at the wash bin, and I take the bowls and spoons, placing them in the bin, to my surprise, Zevran starts to wash them immediately, stacking them to the side to dry. As soon as I’ve finished collecting the eating utensils, I help him wash them, the kids running around us, playing and laughing as I smile, joining in a game of tag as soon as Zevran and I finish, the stoic elf watches the game from a distance. Soon, I am putting the younger kids down for a nap, despite their protests, then Taevel comes to relieve me, and I make my way to the training yard, meeting Libby to start our ‘dance’ again, this time we’re at it, without a break, until the sun starts to lower in the sky, leaving just enough time for me to bathe, dress, and get to the tavern- though my hair has been forced to leave it’s braid for a while.

 

“Little Bird!” Varric crows as I enter the tavern, causing me to freeze, looking at him like he’s a loon, his eyes twinkling as I let out a groan.

 

“I think I preferred Pip.” I state, stepping up to slide behind the bar, only to pause as Flissa is already there, with another elf, the two shifting trays, as though in a rehearsed dance, causing me to look at them in confusion.

 

“I’ve got it tonight, dear.” Flissa says, the flutters her hand at me. “Take a break once and awhile.” She clicks her tongue at me, wagging a finger at my face. “You need to take better care of yourself, those bags under your eyes are  _ too _ much.” I shrug as she shoves a tankard into my hand, then hip checks me as she passes, and I smile as I plop down at the end of the Charger’s usual table, which is currently empty, while Zevran takes his place against the back wall, and the door opens once more. Krem and Libby are roughhousing as they fly into the tavern, followed by Lydia and Skinner, who are chatting happily, Taevel following behind, sandwiched between Rocky and Stitches, Dalish is following quietly as Bull thunders into the room, each falling into their seat, while Taevel pulls Lydia into his lap, the two of them sitting in on chair.

 

“Little Bird!” Bull booms, eying me in surprise, causing me to quirk my lips in a smile. “Your hair is down!”

 

“Oi!” Krem stares at me. “It is!” He reaches out to touch a strand, but I bring my hand up, smacking his hand away with a glare, and he frowns. “Lemme touch it!” He says, leaning over the table, hand outstretched, but my hand lashes out before he can touch my hair, and the smack lands in the middle of his forehead, causing the room to suddenly go quiet. Krem’s eyes cross as they go up, as if he’s trying to stare at his forehead, suddenly Bull starts to laugh, causing the Chargers to follow, along with Taevel and Lydia, while Krem looks at me, and smirks, chuckling as he reaches out, tugging at a fiery lock, a bit too sharply.

 

“Ouch.” I mutter, causing him to laugh, leaning back in his seat, and Libby looks at me like I’m crazy, causing me to shrug. She turns to Krem, who smiles at her brighter than I’ve ever seen, the two of the strike up a conversation, and I glance over at Taevel and Lydia, the two of them kissing, before I take a long sip of the piss poor ale.

 

“So, Little Bird, I heard from Starlight,” I glance over at Varric, my brow raising at him. “you used to sing, back home?”

 

“Oh,  _ this _ I gotta hear!” Krem leans forward in his seat, Zevran looks up in surprise at the question, and I glare over at Libby.

 

“It wasn’t anything big.” I state.

 

“Oh, come now,  _ Pájaro pequeño,  _ you must grace us with your angelic voice!” Zevran shouts,  causing me to glare at him, he just give me a toothy grin.

 

“Okay,  _ alright _ .” I sigh, downing the rest of my ale, and stand, tugging at the lapels of my vest. “What should I sing about, then?”

 

“How about romance?” Lydia smiles at me.

 

“Nah, heartbreak is more her speed.” Libby sits up, taking a sip from her tankard, that Flissa handed her previous. “Slower songs.”

 

“I can do romance!” I snap, causing her to smirk at me. “I’m just… not very good at expressing it.” I answer.

 

“Prove it.” She states, causing me to swallow thickly.

 

“ _ Dear, I fear we're facing a problem _

_ You love me no longer, I know and _

_ Maybe there is nothing that I can do _

_ To make you do _

_ Mama tells me I shouldn't bother _

_ That I ought just to stick to another man _

_ A man that surely deserves me _

_ But I think you do _ ” Libby smirks as she sits back, sipping her rum as the others around the tavern stare in surprise, some smiling at me.

 

“ _ So I cry, I pray, and I beg _

_ Love me, love me _

_ Say that you love me _

_ Fool me, fool me _

_ Go on and fool me _

_ Love me, love me _

_ Pretend that you love me _

_ Leave me, leave me _

_ Just say that you need me _

_ So I cry and I beg for you to _

_ Love me, love me _

_ Say that you love me _

_ Leave me, leave me _

_ Just say that you need me _

_ I can't care about anything but you” _ I place my hands on my hips, bouncing a bit as Libby snorts, rolling her eyes playfully as I smile at her.

 

“L _ ately I have desperately pondered _

_ Spent my nights awake and I wonder _

_ What I could have done in another way _

_ To make you stay _

_ Reason will not lead to solution _

_ I will end up lost in confusion _

_ I don't care if you really care _

_ As long as you don't go _

_ So I cry, I pray, and I beg _ ” I twirl in place, getting a bit excited from singing again after so long, before I throw my arms up, smiling brightly.

 

“ _ Love me, love me _

_ Say that you love me _

_ Fool me, fool me _

_ Go on and fool me _

_ Love me, love me _

_ Pretend that you love me _

_ Leave me, leave me _

_ Just say that you need me _

_ So I cry and I beg for you to _

_ Love me, love me _

_ Say that you love me _

_ Leave me, leave me _

_ Just say that you need me _

_ I can't care about anything but you” _ I bounce on the balls of my heels, not really one for dancing much.

 

“ _ Anything but you _

_ Love me, love me _

_ You say that you love me _

_ Fool me, fool me _

_ Go on and fool me _

_ Love me, love me _

_ I know that you need me _

_ I can't care about anything but you” _ With that, I cross my legs at the ankles, giving a little version of a curtsy, before I fan myself as the others claps softly, and I sit down as Flissa replaces my ale.

 

“That was great!” Bull cheers.

 

“Hardly angelic.” I toss towards Zevran, who smirks with a shrug, and I glance at Libby. “Happy, miss blabbermouth?”

 

“Extremely, though you were a bit pitchy at towards the end.” She answers with a teasing tone causing me to roll my eyes, sticking my tongue out at her childishly. “You could consider it payback, for blabbing about the friend fiction. The boss hasn’t shut up about it, since you brought it up.”

 

“Now now, Starlight, you can hardly blame him. You wrote it about him and Krem.” Varric defends.

 

“Yeah,  _ years _ ago. Before, I  _ traveled _ with them.” Libby shoots back. “I wouldn’t write friend fiction about them, to save my life, now.” Krem and Bull give her a look that can only be described as disappointment, while I burst into laughter, grabbing my stomach as they look at me in confusion.

 

“Lies!” I boldly call, causing Libby to glare at me, giving me to kill symbol. “Terrible lies!”

 

“Shut up!” Libby cries, causing me to smirk over at her.

 

“Make me.” I answer, causing her to pout, crossing her arms over her chest, giving me the stinkeye.

 

“You are  _ soooooo  _ lucky that you are my sister.” She states, causing a light to ping to life in my mind, and I look over at Bull, pointing at him.

 

“Oh yes, what’s this that I am your little sister?” I call him out, causing silence to settle over the table, while Bull eyes me speculatively.

 

“Well, it’s simple. I’ve adopted you as my sister.” He booms, causing me to look at him like he is the oddest thing in the Free Marches.

 

“Right, first of all: You are a loon.” That causes laughter, Bull’s face falls a bit. “Second: Is this why you are so freaking protective?”

 

“It may be something like that.” He rumbles, taking a drink of his ale, while I shake my head.

 

“You don’t have families, under the Qun.” I point out.

 

“Doesn’t mean that you don’t have people, who are like family.” He responds, causing me to snort, nodding my head as I take a contemplative sip of my ale.

 

“Hey, at least he won’t be like Tommy.” Libby points out, causing me to let out a frantic laugh, causing odd looks to pass around the others.

 

“Who is Tommy?” Taevel inquires, causing Libby and I to share a look similar the cat that ate the canary.

 

“Tommy was our brother figure, back home.” Libby answers with a shrug.

 

“He was  _ way  _ **_way_ ** overprotective. I had a date to a dance, and he literally followed us the entire night, and every time the guy got within a few feet of me, Tommy would pop up, and glare at him, until he’s back away.” I shake my head. “I never got a guy to like me again, because of Tommy.”

 

“He was more like a jealous ex, than anything else.” Libby reminds me.

 

“Oh, like when you were about to kiss a guy for the first time, and Tommy just popped up out of nowhere, and dragged you home by your collar?” I shake my head, smirking as she laughs.

 

“Yeah, there were no relationships with him in our lives.” Libby quirks her lips to the side.

 

“Sounds like this Tommy guy was just a stick in the mud.” Krem points out.

 

“Doesn’t it? He seems like a pissbucket arse face tome.” Sera says, causing me to burst into laughter, Libby leans against the table, shoulders quaking with laughter, before she bangs her fist on the wood, and lifts her head to belt out laughter, when we both calm down, I wink at my sister.

 

“That’s fucking funny!” Libby laughs.

 

“Wut?” Sera asks, bounding over to us, from her table.

 

“Just that-” I shake my head, letting out a light laugh.

 

“Tommy’s like Krem.” Libby explains, causing the man in question to stiffen. “A… what’s the word?” She looks over at me.

 

“An Aqun-Athlok.” I answer, causing Bull to stiff, along with the other chargers, causing my brow to furrow.

 

“What’s an Aqun-a thing?” Sear asks.

 

“Someone born one gender, living as another. They’re very common where we’re from.” Libby explains.

 

“Really?” Krem asks.

 

“Yes. Well Tommy is one,” I glance over at Sera, smirking. “He  _ really _ had a thing for you.” I state pointedly, causing Sera’s face to scrunch up, tipping her head this way and that, before smiling.

 

“Thas a flattering pusbucket.” Sera answers, causing everyone to suddenly burst into laughter.

 

“Whoop!” Libby says, rocking to her feet, before stretching with a yawn. “Alright, I’m off to the sack. Got an early morning of training.” She pointedly looks at me, causing me to groan, nodding as I stand.

 

“Right, that’s a thing now.” With that, I bid everyone a good night, passing Zevran with a wave, who nods as I start up the stairs quickly, and slip inside my room, closing my door. Shimming out of my black boots and trousers, I drop my vest on the chest at the foot of my bed, and curl up under my blankets, falling fast asleep. My sleep is dreamless, tonight.


	13. Chapter 13

 

A hustle, a constant hustle, that’s all I can say about the state of Haven, for the past few days. Aaliyah had sent a bird, about three days ago, that she’s a week out, and ready to close the Breach, so that’s what everyone is preparing for. Libby’s become insistent about incorporating daggers into our sparring, Zevran has even been chipping in at some points, the two of the tag teaming me in some lessons, and sometimes they bring in Cole as well, making it three against one in our sparring sessions. The tunnels have been filled with supplies, young men and women have been armed, receiving some basic defensive training, Cullen’s set the trebuchets up, and pointed them at the mountain.

 

Dodging a blow to my ribs, I swing my blade down, parrying the ones in Zevran’s had with one blade, the other is pressing against Libby’s dual blades, and suddenly there is a blade at my throat, causing me to freeze. “Dead.” Cole breathes, his breath rushing across the back of my neck, causing me to swallow thickly as he pulls the blade away. Zevran and Libby drop their stances as I sheath my daggers, taking a deep breath, blowing it out as I wipe my forehead with the back of my hand.

 

“You’re getting better,  _ Pájaro pequeño _ .” Zevran compliments.

 

“Th-Thanks.” I rasp, rubbing at my throat as Libby looks at me in concern and confusion, before realization strikes across her blue eyes, like a flash of lightning.

 

“You haven’t!” She exclaims, causing me to duck my head, toeing the snow a bit guiltily.

 

“What?” Zevran asks.

 

“She’s using bard training!” Libby explains, causing Zevran to look at me in confusion.

 

“ _ You _ gave me the idea.” I shoot at my sister.

 

“Have you really?” Zevran asks.

 

“I am.” I nod, then sigh. “It’s not very good, but it gives me an edge in battle.”

 

“ _ Singing softly, a melodious melody. Humming, and soft, not unlike that song that sings for the templars, but also not. The red templars will hear, will remember, will hopefully change again. No more darkness, no more corruption. This  _ **_will_ ** _ work _ .” Cole states from my side, causing me to smile at him, nodding softly.

 

“It’s not like you’ve had training though- your vocal cords are under serious distress.” Libby points out.

 

“Are you  _ truly _ using bard training? I didn’t even notice.” Zevran hums in thought.

 

“It’s… I’m just humming, for now.” I answer, causing him to nod.

 

“Step back from  _ Pájaro pequeño _ , if you’d please.” Zevran looks at me, Cole and Libby step back, and Zevran swings his dagger at me, causing me to squawk, bringing up my blade to catch his against it. “Show me.” He grits at me, causing my brow to furrow. “Your abilities. Your enemy will not play fair.”

 

“Um… You want me to hum?” He nods firmly, just once, before bouncing back, jabbing at me again as I start to hum loudly, feeling my stamina bounce back, causing Zevran and I to match blow for blow, parrying, thrust, block, parrying, thrust, it’s a dance, during which Zevran’s eyes seem to get glazed, more and more as my humming gets louder.

 

“ _ ¡Suficiente! _ ” Zevran says, bouncing back a few steps. “Enough!” He breathes out, holding a hand up, his dagger balanced between his thumb and pinky, and he shakes his head, look up at me, his eyes no longer glazed. “You are very good.” He compliments, causing heat to crawl up my neck.

 

“Th-Thanks.” I murmur, looking down as I toe the snow with my boot.

 

“I think that’s enough, for today.” Libby states, causing me to let out a relieved breath, and Zevran chuckles as Cole bounds off. The clouds shift, causing the sun to glint off Zevran’s beak under his hood, causing me to wince, finally getting tired out if, I walk over to the rogue, and shove the beak up, knocking hood off his head, reveal his full face for once.

 

“Your beak can be considered a deadly weapon to eyes.” I state, causing him to chuckle, his burning amber eyes twinkling with laughter and mischief.

 

“Yes, well that is the plan.” He taunts.

 

“Oh yes. Oh ho, you fiendish bandits, allow me a moment for the sun to get into position, and you will regret ever messing with the hero Zevran!” Libby says in a mock of an antivan accent, deepening her voice, causing the three of us to burst into laughter, starting into the walls of Haven.

 

“Might I ask, what everyone is preparing for, so much?” Zevran suddenly asks, watching two people rush past, heavy crates in hand.

 

“Ah…” Libby looks at me, and I shrug. “The Herald is on her way back… We are preparing for the closing of the Breach.” Libby explains, causing him to nod.

 

“Ah, I believe I knew that…” He looks up at the sky. “I think.”

 

“I’ve got to go.” I state, glancing at the rogue, who shrugs.

 

“I am in need of a bath- I trust you will be safe.” He states, walking away as I wince, glancing at Libby, who shrugs, waltzing away as I let out a sigh, and start towards the orphan’s camp.

 

“Hey, Little Bird.” Varric greet, wandering over from his camp fire, and I smile at him.

 

“Hey, shortstuff.” I greet, causing him to chuckle.

 

“Going somewhere specific?” He asks, falling into step beside me.

 

“The orphan’s camp. It’s my turn to watch the kids for a bit.” I answer, causing him to nod, and smile as we walk up the steps, just past the tavern.

 

“How are things going, with the assassins?” He asks, suddenly.

 

“I haven’t talked to them, since the day after the attempted assassination. I’m letting them stew.” I grin at him, causing him to chuckle.

 

“Evil.” He taunts, pausing just outside the opening to the orphan’s camp. “I could always try.” He offers, causing me to shake my head.

 

“I’ve gotta try it my way.” I answer, causing him to hum, nodding his head, before wandering off as I enter the camp with a wave. Penelope is in the camp, when I enter, causing me surprise as she’s supposed to be off of duty in the camp for training, for the upcoming battle.

 

“Hey, Eliana.” She smiles at me, causing me to smile, dropping onto the log beside her, as we watch the kids run around.

 

“Couldn’t stay away from them, huh?” I tease, nudging her softly, causing her nod, looking down at her boots. “I was supposed to take this shift.”

 

“I’ve got it. Taevel is training Lydia in defence, on the field.” Penelope explains, causing my heart to clench, and I nod, looking at her sympathetically. “So, it’s a bit difficult to be on the field, when I’m surrounded by him.”

 

“I know that you care for him. You must attempt to be happy for them, though.” I set a gently hand on her shoulder, eyes trained on her own, lapis on clover. “You love your sister, do you not?”

 

“Of course.” She nods, raking her finger through her straw colored locks, and she looks down, sighing. “That is why I will never say it. Because, my sister sacrifices everything, in order for me to be happy. I won’t let her sacrifice her love, especially because it is unrequited.”

 

“That’s a good sentiment.” I look down at my own boots. “Who knows, perhaps you’ll one day find your own love.” I smile up at her. “I hope that it will happen for you soon, alright?”

 

“What about you?” She asks, taking me by surprise.

 

“What about me?” I ask, my confusion true.

 

“Well, haven’t you found a love yet?” She asks.

 

“Oh!” Relieve fills me chest, feeling as though I might have to turn down a friend, makes me feel awkward, not that it wouldn’t be the first time in my life, it happened twice before, though one became a creepy stalker after that. “No.” I shake my head, letting out a laugh. “Relationships aren’t my forte.” I state, causing her to nod, raking her fingers through her locks, which I notice, are shorter than last we spoke, just past her chin now, a part of her fringe falls into her eyes, even when she brushes it back. She adjusts the dark blue scarf around her neck, fiddling with the buckles around her arms, before pulling out a small figurine from her brown belt, and holds it out to me.

 

“This is something that I’ve picked up,” She says as I take it. “thought you might like it.” She says, causing me to look at it- the figurine a slim young woman, carved of marble, and painted various colors. “I painted it, it was white.”  _ That _ explains the reason why the young woman’s hair is fiery red, and her eyes look like they’re clover. “It’s supposed to be a holy symbol. I thought, ya know, you being an oracle and all, you’d enjoy it.” I wince at that, biting back the urge to snap at her, and nod.

 

“It’s nice. Thank you.” She nods as I tuck it into the belt around my waist, pressing my hands to my legs, and stand from the log. “I’ll just let you do your job, okay?”

 

“Yeah. Thanks for the talk.” She smiles at me.

 

“No problem. Anytime.” I wave to her, wandering out of the camp, and into the Chantry, before I wander down to the cells, where I hear a screaming argument, causing me to smirk, and step into the torchlight. “Hello, boys.” Silence falls over them, and Kevin presses himself to the bars, hands clasping at the door.

 

“He works for the Elder One! His name is Charles Joseph Pélissier!” Kevin cries, causing my brow to furrow.

 

“Kevin, what brought this on?” I ask softly, stepping up to his cell.

 

“Marcus says he’ll kill me, if I tell you. I just want out! I have a baby sister, and a fiancee!” Kevin explains, the leader, whom I believe is Marcus, is seething in his cell, and I nod, taking a deep breath.

 

“I will have them look into this Charles Pélissier. Until then, you’ll have to stay in here.” Kevin nods in understanding, I reach out, patting his hand softly. “Thank you.”

 

“Y-You’re welcome.” He answers as I turn, wandering back up the hall, and up into the chantry, pausing to knock on Josephine’s office door.

 

“Enter!” She calls, so I slowly press the door open, discovering Zevran, Leliana, Cullen, and Josephine all in the room, causing me to frown.

 

“Am I interrupting something?” I ask.

 

“Not at all,  _ Pájaro pequeño! _ ” Zevran answers, his hair dripping on the floor, causing me to sigh.

 

“Did you immediately come here from the bathhouse?” I demand, my hands on my hips, causing everyone to look at me in confusion. “You need to dry your hair, before you catch your death!” I scold, causing Zevran to look taken aback, before smirking at me.

 

“Ah,  _ Pájaro pequeño _ , I had no idea you cared!” Zevran purrs, causing me to roll my eyes.

 

“I have a name, from one of my would be assassins.” I state, causing them to look at me in surprise, then Leliana steps forward.

 

“How did you manage such a thing?” She inquires, causing me to shrug.

 

“The seeds of doubt were already there. I simply fertilized them.” I explain. “They’ve finally sprouted.” I look at Josephine. “Does the name Charles Pélissier mean anything, to anybody? He works for the Elder One.”

 

“The Pélissier family are nobles, in Antiva.” Zevran says. “Very wealth but very cheap.”

 

“Charles is the youngest son, with nothing to show his worth.” Josephine scribbles something across a piece of parchment.

 

“If the Pélissier’s have joined with this ‘Elder One’, than perhaps Charles has chosen you for his target, to make a name for himself.” Zevran hums in thought.

 

“Killing the  _ Herald _ of Andraste is impossible, but killing the  _ Oracle _ of the Maker, well… that is a key component of the Inquisition, as well. Just as valuable.” Josephine explains, then nods as if confirming her words for herself. “That would make him invaluable to this ‘Elder One’ as anyone might suppose.”

 

“So, I’m a target for some asshole, who wants to prove his metal?” I roll my eyes, throwing my hands up in the air. “Well that’s fantastic!” I huff, my arms falling to my sides, before I cross them over my chest. “Bloody pissbucket, arsebisquet, flopping assbutt nugget.” I hiss under my breath, Zevran looks at me with a look between immense amusement, and mild disgust.

 

“You sound like our resident Jenny.” Cullen states, causing me to wrinkle my nose at him.

 

“Gah, don't say that. Sera’s awesome, but I don’t want to be compared to her at all.” I huff out, causing Cullen to smirk at me.

 

“Monsieur Pélissier would not hire these assassin’s under his name, he’d have someone else hire them.” Josephine suddenly points out.

 

“Meaning that you are still in danger,  _ Pájaro pequeño. _ ” Zevran explains, causing me to stiffen, and I cross my arms over my chest.

 

“This is getting ridiculous. I haven’t been attacked again, but I think that’s because Zevran is at my side constantly, and I never leave with Aaliyah, so they know my pattern here. If Zevran were to disappear, then they’d be suspicious. They’d get  _ sloppy _ .” I point out, causing everyone to exchange nervous glances.

 

“You are saying that, if I were to stop following you  _ Pájaro pequeño,  _ that you believe they’d attack you. But what about today?” Zevran asks.

 

“Varric was almost immediately by my side, then I was with Penelope. The walk to the Chantry is too visible, so they’d strike when I am beside the Healer’s hut, which they’ve already done, and would not be stupid enough to do again, or by the stables, where nobody would notice at first. Or, they’d wait until after training ends, and I go to the bathhouse, alone.” I rub the back of my neck, and look at them all. “We have less than a week before Aaliyah arrives, and we close the Breach, we’d gain more by doing it now, rather than later.”

 

“You are hardly trained!” Cullen protests. “Yet, you want us to let you walk around, untrained, without a guard!”

 

“It’s not like I’d be completely unguarded!” They all look at me in confusion. “I’d have… Cole.”

 

“The demon?! You want to put your safety in the hands of an airheaded, demon!?” Cullen demands.

 

“He’s  _ not _ a demon!” I hiss, causing Cullen’s eyes to narrow at me. “He’s a spirit! The spirit of  _ Compassion _ ! Calling him a demon, is like calling me one!” Everyone but Zevran flinches at that.

 

“I do not understand. How is that the same?” Zevran asks, causing me to look at him in surprise, before I turn to the advisors.

 

“You didn’t tell him?” I ask in confusion.

 

“We did not think it was… necessary.” Josephine says.

 

“Necessary or not, he has the right to know!” I click my tongue in disapproval, before letting out a sigh. “You can tell him, I’m too exhausted to deal with this, and I need a drink.” With that, I stalk out of the office, stopping at the sight of Bull and Sera standing there, obviously having been eavesdropping, but pretending now, that they weren’t. “You know where I am going, are you coming, or not?”

 

“I’m coming.” Ironbull answers, suddenly I am being hefted up into his arms, causing me to squawk, flailing as Sera cackles as she follows, and Bull sets me on his shoulders, causing me to wrap my arms around his head, arms overlapping over his forehead, and I hold on for dear life as we leave the Chantry.

 

“Bull, you need to put me down.” I state, causing him to rumble with laughter, his shoulders quake, throwing my a bit off kilter, causing me to squeal, locking my legs around his shoulder, and Sera snorts. “Bull, put. Me.  **_DOWN!_ ** ” I shout, causing him to chuckle even more.

 

“Ya look like a drenched cat, clinging to the man!” Varric’s voice comes from behind us, so Bull spins around, causing me to let out a small scream, and Varric raises an eyebrow at me.

 

“I friggin hate heights!” I scream out, causing the three of them to all laugh, before Bull reaches up, grasping my arms, and pulls me off of him, settling me on the ground. “Land!” I cry, dropping to the ground, getting a face full of snow, causing me to splutter, smacking the snow from my clothes as I stand once more.

 

“Hey guys,” Libby joins us, looking me over with a raised eyebrow, a stout figure stands behind her, causing me to look at them questionably. “this is my new friend, Dasi Cadash.” The name surprises me, I can tell that Libby felt the same way, by the look she gives me. Dasi is stout and plump, like all dwarven women, but her hair is long, with a few intricate braids, brushing just past her midback, it’s the color of charcoal, her skin is a dark brown pigment, and her eyes are like two lapis orbs, a stark contrast to her skin and hair.

 

“Nice to meet you all.” Dasi says, causing me to smile.

 

“So, Dasi, are you part of Carta?” I ask, causing her to blink up at me in surprise.

 

“Yes, I was supposed to be bringing supplies for the Conclave, but I was stopped by bandits in the road, and I fought them off, once the dispersed, I had made it to the gates in time for the Conclave to suffer that explosion.” She explains, rubbing her arm. “I’ve been helping the other traders, and other refugees with the supplies I brought. But, I mostly stay out of the way.”  _ Explains why I haven’t seen her yet. _

 

“Well, it’s nice to meet you!” I smile at her. “We’re going to the tavern, if you’d like to join us for a drink?” I offer, causing Libby to nod, and Dasi to smile at me.

 

“I’d really like that.” She answers, causing me to grab her wrist.

 

“Great! Let’s go!” I rush past the others, causing them to laugh, and Dasi stumbles after me as I drag her towards the tavern, excitement filling me.  _ Things are getting more and more interesting _ .


	14. Chapter 14

 

Dasi, Zevran, Cole, and Libby surround me with their practice blades drawn, my own dulls daggers in my hands, Bull is standing off to the side, arms crossed, watching to give out pointers, while Cullen observes from beside his troops. Vivienne is standing in the warmth of the blacksmith, curiosity about training having drawn her to the group. I watch the four surrounding me, waiting for a movement, when Cole shifts, preparing to  strike first, and I whirl around the parry his attack, right before it lands, and Zevran is next, coming from my blindside. I duck his strike, sweeping his legs, before Dasi and Libby join in, the four of them teaming up on me, I duck, weaving, parry, dodge, strike, and blow fluidly, like a snake among the grass, all the while my humming is glazing their eyes, making them unfocused, and replenishing my stamina. Everything stops when Libby and I clash, our blades interlocking, before the two of us bounce back, and Libby holds up a hand, the both of us gasping as we all sheath our weapons.

 

“This is interesting.” Dasi says, flicking her fringe from her eyes, despite the fact that her hair is in a huge ponytail, braids included. “You train like this everyday?” She asks.

 

“Yup.” I state, popping the ‘P’ as I roll my shoulders, then rub my neck.

 

“My lovely,  _ Pájaro pequeño, _ I have offered my services before. I am willing to give you a massage, if you so want.” Zevran says, shooting me a wink.

 

“I think not.” I answer, causing him to playfully frown. “I know how your so call massages end.” I quip, causing his lips to spread into a smile, eyes twinkling brightly.

 

“Ah, I am the perfect gentleman!” He says in a playfully aghast voice, causing me to roll my eyes, he takes my hand, I watch as he places a kiss on it, and as he winks at me, I twist his wrist, spinning him around, and sweep his feet out from under him, following as his faceplants into the dirt, before I press down on his arm in an awkward angle, my knee resting on his back.

 

“ _ You _ are a flirt.” I state, causing him to try and smile, despite the fact that the side of his face is pressed to ice.

 

“What is going on, over here?” Cullen’s voice draws me from my attack on Zevran, standing as I dust my hands off, as if knocking dirt free of them, and I look over at the Commander.

 

“Just putting a flirt in his place,  _ Commander _ .” I state, causing Cullen’s lips to twitch up a bit in the corner, before his looks over at the crow, who is rolling onto his back, then sits up in the snow, his hood knocked off during my attack.

 

“I was bested by my  _ Pájaro pequeño, _ how embarrassing.” Zevran playfully hangs his head in shame, smirking up at me. “I suppose I must pledge myself to your service, without reserve, I am your man.” He says, causing me to stiffen, narrowing my eyes at him. “Until such time as I die, or I am released from your service.” He finishes.

 

“Yes, well, if I remember correctly, your  _ last _ life debt hasn’t been paid in full.” I point out, causing Zevran’s eyes to sparkle in wonder.

 

“So knowledgable.” He hums as I look back over to Cullen, my hands on my hips.

 

“I have a bone to pick with you.” I state, causing him to look at me in confusion.

 

“She means, she wants to talk with you about something.” Libby provides helpfully, causing Cullen to nod, gesturing to the pathway toward the lake, and I fall into step beside him.

 

“What’s this about taking Penelope’s free time, for making her train?” I demand.

 

“You said we needed to prepare.” He points out.

 

“We also need her at the orphan’s camp! We’re trying to keep those kids under control, you have to remember that they  _ do _ realize something is going on. Lydia and I are the only two watching them, because Taevel’s running routes for Leliana, and Penelope and Libby are training, you have to remember that we’re all people. We can’t run ourselves ragged- I’ve had to cut back my time working, and the sprouts at the healer’s hut have all died because I haven’t been able to take care of them. Lydia has work at the blacksmith, and in the Chantry, if she doesn’t work, she doesn’t get to eat, and neither does Penelope. We had a system, that worked good for all of us.” I state, causing him to look down, a bit sheepish as he seems to realize this.

 

“I will tell her that she’s relieved of extra duty, and I will talk with Leliana about cutting Taevel’s routes down.” He offers, causing me to sigh.

 

“Thank you, Cullen, but the point is this is a time for all of us to work together, if you need Penelope to train, tell us so we can find someone to cover her.” I explain, causing him to nod in thought. “Thank you, for hearing me out though, most people wouldn’t care, but those kids? They are  _ my _ people, they are the ones I am fighting for.”

 

“I understand completely, Eliana.” He nods, causing me to smile up at him, before bowing my head in respect, before I turn, walking back to the others as I pull out my blades, shifting my stance. “Let’s go again.” Libby nods, lunging at me with her blade drawn.

* * *

 

Wandering out of the bath-house, a glimmering Cole appears at my side as I finish tying off my dagger belt, my blades already in their sheathes, and then, start to run my towel through my fiery red locks, eyes closed as I hum under my breath. “ _ Hissing. A hidden hurt, hiding in the brushes. Bitter anger, boiling, biting, bitten. Hate, hated, hating.  _ **_Now,_ ** _ now it’s time. _ ” Cole’s whispered words wash through me like rapids, crashing over rocks, make everything slow to a halt as one of my hands falls to my blade. “ **_Look out!_ ** ” I whip around, my blade catching against another as I grit my teeth, with reverberate in my skull from the impact, Cole’s presence is suddenly at my back, covering my blindside as I parry the dagger from my attackers hand, whirling on one leg to send a kick across his face, knock him over to the ground, leaving him stunned as more rush from the brushes.

 

“Dammit, where did all these men come from?!” I hiss, blocking and parrying the odd blade, before I manage to duck an attack, taking off down the path towards the tables and blacksmith. “ **_Help!_ ** ” I scream, looking back to see my attackers following, Cole rushing after as well, I flip back around in time to break into the field of vision of the others, letting out a strangled scream of pain as something embeds itself in the back of my shoulder, causing me to stumble to the ground, catching myself on my injured arm, my other arm reaches back, and touches the burning thing in my shoulder, I realize it’s an arrow. At the sounds of my screams, others being to attack my would-be assassins as I sit up, slowly edging myself out of the way, still holding my shoulder, the arrow shaft out is sticking out of my shoulder, and I notice a numbing feeling coming from it. “Shit.” I hiss as the numbing feeling starts to spread. “Shit. Shit.  _ Shit _ !” I look up as black spots my vision a bit.

 

“Eliana?!” I blink against the blurring edges, around my eyes, and realize that it’s Aaliyah, causing me to wince as she touches the arrow in my shoulder. “Solas!” Another familiar name, yet an unfamiliar figure, which I heavily blink against.  _ When did they get back? _ I think to myself.

 

“An hour ago, Eliana.” Another voice answers, Cassandra.

 

“We need to remove the arrow, can you break the shaft?” I hear Solas ask, before there is a snap, and I reach out to the hand nearest to me, grasping the wrist.

 

“Pu...Po-” I stammer, shaking my head in an attempt to clear it.

 

“What is it,  _ Pájaro pequeño? _ ” An all too familiar voice asks.

 

“Poison.” I manage to slur out, then things go dark as my body goes limp, my eyes slamming down, shutting me away from the outside world. When my eyes snap open again, I suck in a ragged breath, attempting to sit up, despite my shoulder’s scream in protest, a hand suddenly pushes me back down, larger than an average human’s, firm yet dainty, and gray, causing me to blink, looking up to find an unfamiliar Qunari on a chair beside the bed.

 

“Calm down. Deep breathes.” The Qunari soothes, causing me to swallow against the lump in my throat, look around the cabin to find torches along the walls, dimly lit, the bed I am in, is against the wall furthest from the door, a small table leans against the wall beside door, and a bookshelf is on the wall at the foot of the bed, other than that, room has a fireplace in the furthest corner, to warm the room up, and a few chairs scattered about, but that is about it. “So you know who you are? Do you remember what happened?”

 

“I am Eliana, member of the Herald of Andraste’s advisors. I was attacked by assassins…” I look at her, attempting to sit up again, only to hiss in pain, the Qunari pushes me down again. “Who are you?” I finally ask, blinking once more so that she comes into focus again. The Qunari has Crystalline Ice Blue eyes, light gray skin, ruby lips, and white hair side swept over her right shoulder, a small braid falling in one eye, and her horns are shining as if they’re newly polished blades.

 

“I’m a healer. My name is Raser Adaar.” She dips a rag into a bowl on the floor, the wrings it out a bit, before dabbing it across my forehead. “I’m a mage, they brought me in to heal your wound, after the apothicaire and your assassin bodyguard friend got the poison out of your wound.” I blink up at her.

 

“Solas couldn’t help?” I ask in confusion.

 

“The elven apostate, Solas, used his mana on helping you burn through the remaining poison in your system. You were merely sleeping, but they brought me from the furthest camp, when you spiked with fever.” Raser explains carefully, before dipping the rag again. “You’re under strict bedrest.”

 

“But-”

 

“No buts, you have a lot of people worried about you.” She waves off my protest, wiping my forehead once more, before dropping the rag into the bucket, before standing to wander out, before she can reach the door though, it is swung open with Bull ducking in, Libby swung over one arm, Dasi hanging onto his horns, and Sera sung over the other arm.

 

“We’ve come to see if Little Bird’s awake yet!” Bull booms, causing me to wince, a headache prodding at the back of my skull.

 

“She just woke up.” Raser says. “But you- Hey!” She crows. “She’s in nothing but her breeches and bandages!” Raser calls, hurrying over to me, while Bull drops the three women at the foot of my bed, plopping down into a chair of his own as Raser hurries to help me at least put on a tunic, while Bull looks elsewhere.

 

“How long have I been out?” I finally ask.

 

“Almost three days. Aaliyah’s about to close the Breach tonight.” Libby answers, causing me to look at her in a panic. “We’ve got it. All you have to do, is move to the Chantry, and wait.” She reassures me.

 

“Oh… Okay.” I murmur, before Dasi drops onto the bed beside me, wrapping me in her arms.

 

“Are you okay?! I’m sorry, I couldn’t help!” She cries, burying her head in my neck.  _ Who knew that a dwarf could be so emotional? _ I think to myself.  _ Dumb question. You did. _

 

“It’s okay.” I pat her back, but her grip just tightens, causing me to wince, hissing as she presses on my wound, causing her to jump back, stumbling to land on her ass, on the floor.

 

“Sorry!” She cries out, cause everyone to burst into laughter.

 

“Knock knock!” I look over at the door, finding Aaliyah, Solas, and Varric standing there, the elf seems to be carrying a tray of piping hot foods, causing my stomach to growl loudly.

 

“Ah, Chuckles that’s your cue!” He hums, causing Solas to smirk, stepping forward with a delicate sweep, placing the tray on table beside the door, before coming over to help me sit up, while Dasi fluffs the pillow up behind me.

 

“Ah, you mean I  _ can _ sit up! Raser, there, kept pushing me down over and over again.” The Qunari gapes at me, mouth opening and closing like a fish, before closing her mouth as she blushes, and Aaliyah steps forward to place my tray in my lap.

 

“Dig in!” She chirps, causing me to pick up a roll, pick it apart to eat the pieces politely.

 

“Little Bird, come on. You don’t have to be so dainty, ya haven’t eaten in three days.” Bull rumbles, causing me to wince, before stuffing half the roll in my mouth, biting ravenously at my food, while the others discuss battle plans.

 

“Have Seggrit, Lizabeth, Threnn, Harriet, Adan, and Minaeve in the Chantry, we can’t afford to have you wandering off course to rescue them.” Libby warns.

 

“Flissa too.” I point out.

 

“We also need Lydia and Taevel to evacuate the orphan’s camp, and keep the kids inside the Chantry during the raid.” Libby continues as I focus on my stew next, taking large gulps of it from my spoon.

 

“Will this work?” I finally voice my worry.

 

“It will have to. We’ve put this off for far too long.” Aaliyah answers, a heavy silence falls over us, the only sound accompanying it, is the clinking of my silverware against my dishes, which soon comes to a halt as I push the food away, suddenly losing my appetite.

 

“You have to eat, Sis. You’ve got to keep up your energy.” Libby points out, but I shake my head.

 

“I think, I’d like to go to the Chantry now.  _ Please _ .” I murmur, causing them all to exchange looks, before Solas and Raser help me to my feet, minding my arm, they escort my to the large build, at the back of Haven, people stopping to stare on occasion, and when we get there, are escorted to a room, off the side of the war room, directly across from Josephine’s office. They leave me there to rest, and when I wake again, it’s to the alarm bell tolling, and I know…  _ things a just beginning _ .


	15. Chapter 15

 

With a whimper, I force myself up in the bed, swinging my legs off the side, and stand, cradling my arm to my chest as I force the door to the room open with one arm, seeing people running about in a hurry in the Chantry, and wounded scattering the floor, thankfully nobody I know.  _ It’s already happening? _ I find myself thinking, in shock, as I tie my dagger belt around my waist, grabbing my leather vest from the spot on the floor, by the door, and swing it on over both arms, ignoring the screaming in my shoulder as I make for the door. Bursting outside, I can see stacks of smoke billowing in various places, people are running from venatori mages, their archers, causing me to strike out at the first one I see, taking them completely by surprise, and slicing right through their neck, causing it to fall dead, and the person cower before him runs to the Chantry. “ **MISS ELLY!** ” My blood runs cold in terror, turning to find a few mages backing some of my kids into the orphan camp, which is up in flames, a crumpled figure is on the ground before them, a pool of blood below them, staining their too familiar blond hair, suddenly I see red, and I burst forward with a blood curdling scream.

 

The venatori turns in time for me to land on it, hacking and slicing at it’s body, the kids take that time to run for the shelter of the Chantry, but I continue to slam my daggers into the mage’s body, tears burning in my eyes, arm screaming in pain, blood covering my face, but I continue until I am ripped from the mage’s body by strong, familiar arms. “N-No!  _ No!  _ **_L-Lemme go! LET ME GO!_ ** ” I scream, struggling to get back to the body of the mage. “ _ He killed her!  _ **_HE KILLED LYDIA!_ ** ” I screech, tears falling from my eyes, hair flying all over, into my my face, into the person pulling me away’s face. Lydia’s empty chartreuse eyes are staring up, blank, glassy, reflected in the firelight, the person hefts me up, over their shoulder, and lugs me back to the chantry as I scream incoherently, pounding their back, and kicking my legs. “ **_LYDIA!_ ** ” Suddenly, I’m shrugged off their person’s shoulder, dropped on my ass like a sack of rocks, it’s enough to snap me out of my stupor, and glare up at the person before me, only to freeze at the familiar teal eyes before me, swimming with unshed tears. “T-Taevel…” It escapes my lips in a whisper.

 

“I know.” He sniffles, wiping at his eyes in anger. “I know, she’s gone!” Before I can say anything more, Penelope rushes over.

 

“Where’s Lydia?!” She demands. “Where is my sister?!”

 

“G-Gone.” Taevel swallows thickly, falling to his knees. “She’s dead.” Penelope’s eyes widen, she stumbles back in shock, tears fill her eyes.

 

“No! No, you must be wrong!” She screams, echoing around the Chantry, drawing the attention of quite a few. “She can’t be dead! She just  _ can’t _ !” She turns to me, but I look down, tears falling as I reach out, tugging Taevel to the floor, where he buries his head in my shoulder, and Penelope sinks to the ground, joining our mourning with tears of our own. I can hear the frightened whimpers of the kids close by, but they don’t seem to register as our group mourns an important loss, before long Penelope is called back out to fight, and Taevel leaves to compose himself, while I sit on the floor, staring down at my blood stained hands, my emotions swirling in my head. I had killed again, yet I feel no remorse.

 

“ _ Blood, burning, bitter. He killed my friend. He deserved it. Blood stains blood, the darkness presses, and pain… why pain? _ ” I blink, looking up as Cole takes his hand in both of my own, his crystal eyes full of sympathy. “You couldn’t have stopped him, she died for the kids, the kids she loved as her own. Taevel would understand, he will heal, and so will Penelope.  _ It wasn’t your fault _ .” He breathes softly, causing me to hiccup on a sob, sniffling as Cullen joins us, face full of sympathy and sorrow.

 

“We need to move. The Herald has left to turn the trebuchet. Chancellor Roderick is going to show us the Summer Pilgrimage path.” He explains, looking me over. “Can you walk?”

 

“My arm is wounded, not my legs.” I answer, despite that, as soon as I stand, my legs start to shake, and I barely make it a step before collapsing, and a large arm scoops me up, cradling me to a familiar chest.

 

“I got ya, Little Bird. You’re too weak to be move around like that.” Bull says, causing me to fall quiet as he scoops up my bag by the door, where I had grabbed my vest, and he deposits it in my lap, before following the people down the tunnel, lead by Dorian, Roderick, and Libby, the tunnel is dark, cramped, and full of nasty old spiderwebs and dust, the air is thick, muggy, and full of tension. “You need to rest, Little Bird. You’ve been running a fever from the poison, it’s not completely gone. Plus, you did a dumb thing, ripping your wound open.” Had I? I hadn’t even noticed, but yes… now there is worse pain in my shoulder. “Rest. You’ll need it for the journey ahead.” With that, I close my eyes, attempting to get some sleep, Bull’s steady heartbeat helps sooth me, like something I’ve never experienced before, and I manage to fall into a light sleep state, waking again when we’ve made camp. Cullen manages to launch the signal, despite the rising blizzard, and a few minutes late, the mountains around us shake, burying Haven, people cry out in loss, and I feel something awful twist in my stomach.  _ What if we changed too much? What if Aaliyah is really, truly dead? Oh god, I’m so scared. _ Crosses my mind, and so starts, the longest four days of my life.

* * *

 

Day One: Nobody dares to eat, everyone weeps for their loss, and I stare, forlorn, at my still bloodstained hands. The winds pick up, and we lose three wounded. Adan, Libby, and Raser are all bothered by the outcome.

* * *

 

Day Two: The further we get from Haven, the more moral seems to diminish. Bull continues to insist on carrying me, Cole is never far from sight, even Zevran has become one of the “protective three” as they’re called. Two of the Children died today, wounded without speaking up, along with an elderly woman. At least others are eating, I can’t bring myself to.

* * *

 

Day Three; Taevel, Penelope, and I are always together, every second that we can be. When Bull, Cole, and Zevran aren’t hovering, the three of us are mourning together. None of us can bare to eat, sleeping seems out of the question, and everyone gets annoyed when I forget to get a salve and replacement for my bandage. Tensions are getting higher, people are starting to turn to blame, and infighting. Still no sign of Aaliyah.

* * *

 

Day Four: Aaliyah’s been all but pronounced dead, Solas even seems to have lost hope. But, I can feel it, deep inside, something’s changing. While others argue, I am staring into space, thinking, planning, plotting as we wait. Adan’s seen to my wound more often than not, become oddly overprotective of it, Raser has started hovering nearby too, and Libby has pointed out that the muscle is damaged, due to my strain on it, slaughter that mage, and on top of that, it’s infected. So the “protective three” has now doubled in size, to the “protective six”, and now Cassandra and Cullen are at eachother’s throats.

 

Bending over the chair in the healer’s tent, Adan rubs a salve over my wound, causing me to wince, hissing as he mutters insults under his breath, before he starts to wrap my arm, and the looks at me. “Eat. Your. Food. Healer’s orders.” He grumbles, causing me to sigh, wandering out into the cold night, the blizzard is starting to die down, and so Cassandra, Solas, and Cullen are going to search for Aaliyah, to see if she’s been following the train we’ve left. Stepping over to the large fire, in the middle of the camp, I pick up a bowl, ladling some thick, nug and ram meat stew into my bowl, before tromping over to my assigned spot at Bull’s left, where I drop onto the log, scooping the stew with a sour look on my face.

 

“You have to eat, sis.” Libby leans over, whispering in my ear, her eyes are full of sympathy, which I can’t stand the sight of any longer, so I drop my eyes to my bowl, sticking the wooden utensil in my mouth.

 

“There! It’s her!” I hear Cullen shout, causing me to jump to my feet.

 

“Thank the Maker!” Cassandra cries as I burst from the cmap, faster than even I thought possible, reaching the outskirts of the camp, where the firelight barely touches, I can see Cullen wandering back up to camp, carrying Aaliyah. She’s covered in ice, shivering as she huddles closer to Cullen’s fur pauldron, her eyes seems to be frozen half open, the mark on her hand flaring and fluctuating green light, and her clothes are covered in snow.

 

“Aaliyah!” I cry, rushing over to them, removing my cloak to wrap around her, Cullen smiles at me softly, and we rush into the camp. “Get a tent cleared! Solas, Vivienne, Dorian!” I cry, the three mages rush over as Cullen ducks into a healer’s tent. “Vivienne, you’re about to do something that you’d rather not do.” I warn.

 

“Tell me.” She responds, nodding her head firmly.

 

“She’s got frostbite, her blood temperature is dropping as we speak. Strip her down to her smalls, climb in the bed with her. Your body heat will help.” She nods again, ducking into the tent, shooing Cullen out as I turn to Dorian. “Dorian, gather every spare blanket you can, Aaliyah’s gonna need them.” He nods, a questioning look in his eyes as he runs off. “Solas, get in there, and make sure you heal her. Even if everything is okay, heal her, and keep healing her. Have a fire going in a dish.” The elven apostate nods, ducking into the tent, and I turn to Cullen.

 

“What shall I do?” He asks.

 

“Post men outside this tent, don’t let anyone but myself, the healers, Dorian, Vivienne, and Solas in.” He nods, but I grab his arm tightly. “ _ I mean it, Commander _ .” I hiss, causing him to swallow thickly, dropping his head into a bow. “ **Libby!** ” I call, my sister rounds to the tent in less than five seconds, stopping before me. “I need you to think back to Basic Aid Training.” I warn, causing her to pale.

 

“That was… elementary school!” She whispers frantically.

 

“Libby, focus!” She swallows thickly, nodding as I let out a relieved breath, raking my fingers through my hair, and we enter the tent together- Vivienne has Aaliyah curled up against her, under a blanket, my cloak over top that, and Cullen’s fur mantle around her shoulders. Solas stands over them, hands glowing blue, while Vivienne focus her mana into Solas’ magic, and Libby grabs the water pail, rushing out to warm it by the fire, while I look over at Solas. “Anything?” I ask.

 

“Her heart rate is steadying. Vivienne is splitting her mana, forcing half into me, while using the other half to generate her warming spell- it’s helping with the Herald’s body temperature dramatically.” Solas relays, causing me to let out a relieved breath as Libby comes in, the water steaming in her hands, and I smile as she sets it at Aaliyah’s head. Kneeling down, I rip a strip of fabric from the stomach of my tunic, causing everyone to gasp, and I dunk it into the water, wringing it out to lay across Aaliyah’s forehead, before I stand once more.

 

“I’ve got them!” Dorian burst in. “Every spare blanket I could get.” His face is covered by a stack of blankets, which I take from him, one at a time, covering Aaliyah carefully, after removing my old cloak, and once she’s successfully piled with them, Dorian, Libby, Solas, and I all walk out, allowing a healer into the tent, just to keep watch over her.

 

“Is she going to be alright?” Solas finally wonders.

 

“She is, hopefully.” I murmur the last part, though Solas can hear as I rake my fingers through my hair, drawing my cloak tighter against the cold that now bites at my bare stomach.

 

“You need to eat.” Libby suddenly says, causing me to groan, nodding as I walk over to Bull’s side, grabbing my cold bowl of stew, which Libby then grabs, stirring back into the pot, before ladling be a new bowl, which she shoves into my hands, before getting a bowl for herself. Silence rings through the survivors, heavily weighing on me, the overwhelming relief is strong enough that I can practically taste it on my tongue as I eat the stew in my bowl. A few hours later, I round to the tent with Chancellor Roderick laying in it, his wound has been festering lately, but has yet to kill him, Dorian is watching over him as they speak in hushed whispers, and I watch them silently.

 

_ “ _ _ Shadows fall and hope has fled _

_ Steel your heart, the dawn will come _

_ The night is long and the path is dark _

_ Look to the sky for one day soon _

_ The dawn will come” _

  
  


I whirl around at the lyrics that Mother Giselle belts out, my eyes widen, people still seem to refuse to fall.

 

“ The Shepherd’s lost and his home is far

Keep to the stars, the dawn will come”

 

I step out from the tent, watching as around the camp, people look up as Leliana and Mother Giselle harmonize, before Josephine and Cassandra join, others following.

 

“ _ The night is long and the path is dark _

_ Look to the sky for one day soon _

_ The dawn will come _ ” I swallow, stepping forward as people approach Aaliyah, who is looking around in wonder.

_ “Bare your blade and raise it high _

_ Stand your ground, the dawn will come _

_ The night is long and the path is dark _

_ Look to the sky for one day soon _

_ The dawn will come”  _ I jump as people burst into cheers, looking around as Mother Giselle murmurs something to Aaliyah, before wandering off, and Solas steps up, my eyes narrow at the older elven man as he walks off, then I turn back to the tent, only to find Dorian’s face falling as he stands from Roderick. A sharp twist in my gut, I realize that he’d dead, causing my head to fall, hands coming together in a silent prayer, something I haven’t done since I quit church.

 

“Eliana, is it?” I look up to find the Mage smiling, his thumb and index fingers come up, twirling his mustache, while I silently nod. “We haven’t met before now, how is it that you know my name?”

 

“I…” I look down, rolling my jaw, causing my ears to wiggle. “I just know, what I know.” I answer, turning back to the camp.

 

“You- that was a rather cryptic answer…” He smirks. “And that comes from me, a necromancer.”

 

“I know what you are.” I state, looking up at him blankly.

 

“Right, aren’t you this supposed Oracle of the Maker?” He chuckles, shaking his head.

 

“Something like that.” I shrug.

 

“Is that how you all were so ready? Surely, there would be more casualties, if not?” I look at him, blankly, before I turn, walking towards where Bull and the Chargers are, Dorian follows quickly. “You must have known I was coming, as well then?” He inquires as I pat one of Bull’s horns, causing the big beast to pur a bit as I drop onto the log again. “Or, who the Elder One was? You could’ve prevented all of this, could you not?” Dorian insists.

 

“Hey, necromancer!” Dorian’s head whips towards Libby. “Leave my sister alone, eh? She never asked for anyone to dub her an Oracle, just because she knows stuff.” Dorian fidgets a bit. “I know stuff too. But, I’m not an Oracle.”

 

“You do?” Krem asks, looking over at Libby.

 

“Yeah, how do you think I was there in time to help Bull defend you, when he lost his eye?” Libby asks, causing Krem to smile, falling silent as Bull grumbles under his breath about “ _ you couldn’t stop me from losing my eye, though _ ?”

 

“I didn’t-” Dorian looks between Libby and myself. “I wasn’t… Well then, my apologies for bothering you.” Dorian bows his head. “It will not happen again.”

 

“It’s not like I don’t want to talk. I just hate this whole “Oracle” business. I never claimed to be an Oracle, nor have I claimed to be Holy, but now I’ve got assassin’s on my ass, because this Elder One wants me dead.” I state, causing Dorian to blink at me. “As a matter of fact, I;d enjoy your company. Just, not now. You have too many questions.”

 

“I see.” With a nod, he walks off, causing Libby and I to exchange looks, before I notice Cole out of the corner of my eye, just wandering around Aaliyah’s tent, looking a bit lost, so I stand from the circle, looking over to Libby, to see she’s looking at me in confusion, causing my brow to furrow, before I wander over to where Cole is.

 

“Cole?” I ask, the young man continues to pace.

 

“ _ Sadness, swirling, sickening inside. Worry worsening, can’t help but wonder. Wanting to help. Wishing she hadn’t been too late. _ ” His head snaps, eyes widening as he looks at me. “It’s not your fault.” He says gently. “Sometimes, people just can’t hold on. It’s too much, the pain is too much. It’s okay for them to let go, you know.” He says, stepping close to me, causing me to stumble back in surprise.

 

“I-I… uh… I understand that.” I state, causing him to smile, then looks over at Aaliyah’s tent, worry creasing his brow.

 

“She’s confused, lost.  _ Lethallin, ours, the dalish, or the elves? Wishing, wanting, wondering, weeping, willows wander in the wind, whipping, whistling. _ ” He states to move away from the tent, wandering off in a dazed state, causing me to smile to myself, a small smile, before it vanishes, and I turn to look for Taevel. Finding him a few minutes later, in his tent, wrapped in Lydia’s shawl, while resting his head in Penelope’s lap, the two of them are finally asleep, their faces are tearstained, and their eyes have bags under them, I let them sleep.

 

“Are you alright?” I jump at the voice behind me, whirling around to find Cullen standing there, rubbing his neck awkwardly as I place a hand to my chest, breathing deeply.

 

“I-I’m fine, Cullen. Thank you for worrying.” I rake my fingers through my hair, wincing as the knots catching on my fingers. “I can… cope, with loss.” I say, once I see the look on his face, dropping my hand, twisting my sleeve of my tunic, doing something to occupy my hands.

 

“You still have stains on your fingers.” He points out, causing me to wince, looking down at the bloodstains dyed into my skin, and I look away pointedly.

 

“That’s… they’re gonna be like that for a while. By the time I could wash, they were stained red.” I look back at his eyes, full of sympathy, causing me to grit my teeth, shoving past him, stalking away in anger, and annoyance.

 

“I- did I do something wrong?” Cullen inquires, following after me.

 

“No.” I hiss, looking pointedly away from him as I round the tents, weaving in and out of them, hoping to lose him, but he manages to keep up.

 

“Why are you suddenly angry at me?” He asks.

 

“I’m not!” I spit out, rounding to the outskirts of the camp, where he catches my wrist, spinning me around to look at him.

 

“You are!” He argues, his eyes still holding nothing but sympathy, and I growl, shoving him back.

 

“That!” I spit out. “That right there! I hate that look it your eyes. Get it out! I don’t need your sympathy, or pity!” He looks at me in surprise. “Frankly, it pisses me off, seeing it in your eyes- in everyone’s eyes! I’m not the only one to lose someone, go console someone else!” I screech, causing him to step back in surprise, a few people come over to see what the ruckus is about.

 

“I am your friend. I’m not pitying you, I am sympathetic for your loss!” Cullen argues.

 

“Yeah, well I’m not just upset! I’m livid!” I spit back. “I want to hit something, hard! I can’t do that! But, I can help anyway I can, so stop asking if I’m okay, but the answer is NO!” I clench and unclench my fist. “ **_No, I am not okay! But, I don’t want sympathy!_ ** ” Everyone falls silent as I stand there, seething in anger, my chest heaving as tears of anger burn in my eyes.

 

“Little Bird?” I whirl around to look at Bull, my eyes narrowing.

 

“ **_What?!_ ** ” I growl, causing his eyes to widen, and he takes a step back, but Libby burst forward, grabbing my arms, wrapping my arms around my chest, pinning them to my back, and drops to the ground, dragging me with as I kick and squirm, spitting out profanities at her.

 

“Alright, nothing to see here!” Libby shouts, wrapping her legs around my own, rocking me as I hiss in anger, Bull, the Chargers, and Cullen all beckon everyone away, while Libby whispers soothing words in my ear, before long I am limp in her arms. “That’s it. Breathe sis. It’s  _ okay _ .” With that, she removes herself from me, helping me stand, and I turn to Bull and Cullen.

 

“I’m sorry. My anger was getting the better of me.” I apologize, bowing my head deeply.

 

“Don’t worry about it. You’re entitled to have your emotions.” Cullen states.

 

“Yeah, be pissed if you want. Just put it to productive use.” Bull rumbles, patting my head softly.

 

“Right, but it’s time for me to go to bed. I’m exhausted, and now I can actually sleep because we know where Aaliyah is.” I smile sleepily up at them all. “Night all.” With that, I wander over to my tent, crawling inside to collapse in my bedroll, falling fast asleep.


End file.
